Clementine Almond Cake

Candied clementines and almond paste yield a perfect mix of sweet and nutty in this gorgeous one layer cake.

So my daughter, Lucy, and I, have taken up a new activity that I predict will become a Friday ritual. We head into the city, our city, Salt City (not NYC), to a favorite little coffee house, Freedom of Espresso, to do some work. I’ve always imagined I wouldn’t be able to write in a space that A) wasn’t my home office, and B) has music that is not exclusively instrumental playing in the background.

But I was wrong.

And, as a matter of fact, I’ve been able to focus even better than expected. I don’t know, maybe it’s the homey exposed brick walls with their extra tall multi-paned windows which allow light and the view of sharp urbanites to stream in; maybe its the productive energy emitted from my grad school student daughter and all of the other laptop wielding coffee drinking (mostly) millennials seated around us; maybe it’s the aroma of locally roasted coffee beans brewed into my favorite cup of coffee from cooler than cool baristas, setting the tone.

Or perhaps my evolution in life is causing me to do things differently than I have before.

We’ll go with all of them.

So what does this Clementine Almond Cake have to do with Fridays at Freedom of Espresso?

It was there that I showed Luc the new One Layer Cakes publication and asked her to choose one from the 48 gorgeous recipes to be her birthday cake.

She was all about the candied clementines and almond.

I was thrilled that she was.

First of all, these flavors are meant to be together. Seriously. So fabulous. Plus, I’d never candied fruit before, and it was high-time I try.

So, it took me a couple times to get it right – but who’s counting? The main thing to know is to let the sugar water aka simple syrup boil down for a good five minutes before adding the very thinly sliced clementine rounds. Then, once they’ve done their thing for about 20 minutes, carefully remove and allow them to cool on a wire rack to harden. It’s not difficult at all, it just took me a couple times to learn just how easy it is!

As far as the cake itself, my main note concerns the use of the food processor. Do not, I repeat, do not over pulse the flour and almond paste mixture or over process the batter as you add the eggs. (Don’t you love when someone else gets all the mistakes out of the way for you?!)

This Clementine Almond Cake has everything Luc wanted in her birthday cake:

• citrus-y
• almond-y
• moist but not dense
• sweet without being cloyingly so
• homemade
• perfect with a strong cup of coffee or a shot of espresso

I highly recommend this cake if you’re a fan of citrus or simply a fan of great tasting food!

Buon Appetito!

One year ago: Garganelli alla Vodka

Two years ago: {Gluten-Free} Fresh Citrus & Berry Galette

Three years ago: Empty Nester’s Journey – The Surprise

Four years ago: Carrot Confetti Cake

And don’t forget to check out Ciao Chow Bambina on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!

Clementine Almond Cake

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• Author: Ciao Chow Bambina
• Category: Dessert

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Description

Candied clementines and almond paste yield a perfect mix of sweet and nutty in this gorgeous one layer cake.

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Ingredients

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• Cake
• 4 ripe clementines, sectioned
• 1 cup pastry flour, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup almond paste
• 3 Tbsp. orange zest
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
• 6 large eggs
• Candied Clementines
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 clementines, cut into 1/8-inch rounds

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, and spray with flour.
3. Arrange clementine sections in an even layer in prepared pan.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the sugar, almond paste, zest, and remaining 1/4 cup flour until combined, 3 to 4 times.
6. With processor running, add eggs, one at a time.
7. Gradually add flour mixture, pulsing until combined.
8. Pour batter over clementines.
9. Bake until golden brown and wooden pick inserted comes out clean, 50 – 60 minutes.
10. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.
11. Run a knife around edges of pan to loosen before inverting onto a wire rack to let cool completely.
12. In the meantime, prepare Candied Clementines.
13. In a large skillet, prepare a simple syrup by bringing sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat.
14. Let boil for 5 minutes; reduce heat to low.
15. Add sliced clementines to the simple syrup in a single layer, and simmer for 20 minutes.
16. Remove clementines using a slotted spoon, and let dry on a wire rack until ready to use, about 10 minutes.
17. To serve, place cake on a serving platter and garnish with Candied Clementines.

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(Recipe adapted from One Layer Cakes, Bake From Scratch Special Issue, #thebakefeed}

CIAO!