Clementine Cake
This cake is not only delicious but it is also gluten free and dairy free, making it able to be enjoyed by everyone.
Makes 12 servings.
Ingredients:
5 clementines
Vegetable oil for greasing
275g caster sugar
300g ground almonds
Seeds from 8-10 green cardamom pods, ground to a powder
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 large free-range eggs, lightly beaten
Juice 1 lemon
1 cinnamon stick
Method:
Put 3 of the clementines in a pan of water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 2 hours until really tender, adding more water if necessary. Drain and leave to cool a little. Cut in half and pick out any pips, then whizz the fruit (skin and flesh) to a pulp in a food processor.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Grease a 23cm springform cake tin, then line the base with baking paper.
Put 225g of the caster sugar, the almonds, ground cardamom and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir, then make a well in the centre. Mix the pulped clementines, vanilla extract and eggs in the well, then mix into the dry ingredients. Pour the mixture into the tin. Transfer to the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes.
Meanwhile, squeeze the juice from the remaining 2 clementines into a pan. Add the lemon juice and the remaining 50g caster sugar. Heat gently until the sugar is dissolved, then add the cinnamon stick and simmer for 3 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and pierce the top in a few places with a skewer. Drizzle over the citrus syrup, then leave for 1 hour to soak in. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.