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Clementine Almond Cake
You will not believe how easy this cake is: it combines whole clementines, sugar, eggs and ground almonds for an unusual and sophisticated treat that is low FODMAP in small servings.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Cool Time 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Makes: 24 Servings
Calories: 111 kcal
Ingredients:
- 4 to 7 (as close to 375 g whole fruit) clementines, preferably organic, scrubbed
- 3 cups (258 g) sliced natural almonds
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (198 g) plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder; use gluten-free if following a gluten-free diet
Preparation:
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Place clementines in a pot and cover with cold water by an inch (2.5 cm). Cover and bring to a boil, adjust heat and simmer for 1 hour. Keep covered, turn off heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
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Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C. Coat the inside of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
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Meanwhile, pulverize the almonds in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. I pulse on and off, then let the machine run until you have ground the almonds very fine, but not until they get powdery. They should still have a little texture, but not much. Transfer the ground almonds to a small bowl; carefully wipe out the food processor with a paper towel and reassemble with metal blade.
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Pluck clementines out of their cooking liquid and transfer to a cutting board. Slice them into quarters and pick out any seeds (see Tips). Dump clementines and any juices into re-assembled food processor and pulse on and off, then process until a thick paste/purée forms; set aside.
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Beat eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until they are thick and a ribbon forms when you drizzle the mixture back on itself. Fold in the ground almonds and baking powder until almost completely blended, then add clementine purée and fold in until everything is well combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
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Bake for 20 minutes, cover top with foil, turn oven down to 350°F/180°C, and continue baking for about 40 minutes more or until a toothpick tests clean when inserted in the center. Cool pan on rack or about 20 minutes, then run an icing spatula between cake and pan, then release springform and remove outer ring. Allow cake to cool completely. Cake can be served the day it is made but we think it improves after a day or two. Wrap cooled cake in plastic wrap and store at room temperature until needed. Serve cake as is, or with a few berries on the side.
Notes:
Tips
- You could use blanched (peeled) sliced almonds, but they are usually more expensive. The cake will be lighter in color if you do because the almond skins will not be present.
- I often place the whole clementines right into the food processor. I get lazy and don’t bother to remove the seeds and the end result works for me. I tried this because I make a raw cranberry orange relish that uses whole raw oranges and I never had an issue with the seeds. Try either way and make a decision based on your own palate.
- Do take care to bake the cake long enough and to watch for over-browning. The cake is very dense and moist and does need to be cooked through, lest it end up a bit wet in the center.
Nutrition Facts
Clementine Almond Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 111
Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Cholesterol 53mg18%
Sodium 35mg1%
Potassium 20mg1%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 75IU2%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.