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a winter delight | Two versions of recipes, including gluten and dairy-free

Winter is upon us and the markets are filled with organic clementines, tangerines, kumquats, juicy oranges and lemons of all sizes. Clementine Cake is unique in that it uses all fruit, including peel, marrow and pulp. We have experimented with different types of citrus fruits, including lemons (yuzu, bergamot, etc.) and pomegranates. One of our favorite combinations is kumquat and yuzu (Citrus junos).

The advantage of this particular recipe (modified from a Cook’s Country recipe), is that whole citrus fruits are lightly cooked in a microwaved Pyrex dish, a real time saver that doesn’t spoil the taste or composition of the fruit. You can mix equal weights of oranges, kumquats or lemons. Depending on the acidity of citrus fruits, you can increase the sugar to 1 1/2 – 2 cups.

This “one-bowl” delicacy can be easily made in a food processor, tastes great when prepared a day in advance, and freezes well.

Ingredients: 9 ounces (260 g) clementines (seedless variety is best), unpeeled, stemted2 1/4 cups (280 g) sliced almonds1 cup (227 g) all-purpose flour1 1/4 teaspoon baking power1/4 teaspoon salt10 tablespoons Unsalted butter, softened1 cup (227 g) granulated sugar5 large eggsCandied clementines 4 clementines, unpeeled, stemmed1 cup water1 cup (227g) granulated sugar1/8 teaspoon saltFor glaze 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon clementine juice 1 teaspoon clementine zest

Preparation:

Set the oven rack to the

• medium position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with greased parchment paper, or simply grease with vegetable oil, or use a silicone baking pan.

• Microwave citrus fruits (clementines, kumquats, lemons or a mixture) in a glass dish with a lid until softened and a little juice is released, for about 3 minutes. Discard the juice and cool the fruit for about 10 minutes.
• Toast the sliced almonds in the oven until golden brown, let cool for about 10 minutes, then process in a food processor with the flour, baking powder and salt until finely ground – about 30 seconds – and transfer to a separate bowl.

• Add citrus fruits to the empty food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed

.

• Using a hand or standing mixer, whisk the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs to the sugar mixture

• and whisk until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add

the

• citrus puree to the egg and sugar mixture.

Add the

• dried almond mixture to the wet clementine mixture in three additions, until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.

• Mix the final dough quickly with a rubber spatula and transfer it to the prepared baking pan, smoothing the top.

• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your oven

.

• Cool the cake completely on a rack.

Frosting:

• Whisk the sugar, clementine juice and zest in a bowl until smooth. Adjust the consistency with 1/2 teaspoon of water at a time, as needed, until the frosting has the consistency of glue and leaves a visible trace in the container when sprayed from a whisk.
• Pour the frosting over the cake, previously dried on a rack, and let stand for 1 hour.
• Top with candied or dried clementine slices and serve.
• This cake can be stored at room temperature (up to 2 days), frozen or stored in the refrigerator.

Candied clementines:

• Cut 1/4-inch-thick clementines perpendicular to the stem, discarding rounded ends

.

• Line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towels or use a wire rack.
• Simmer water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan (add some crushed cardamom pods or a cinnamon stick for extra flavor) over medium heat until the sugar has been dissolved.
• Add the sliced clementines to the sugar water and cook until softened, about 6 minutes.
• Using tweezers, transfer the clementines to the baking sheet or wire rack, and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Turn the slices halfway down to absorb excess moisture.

MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE AND DAIRY-FREE

Substitute Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix flour in even amounts and omit baking powder as this gluten-free blend already contains baking powder. This particular mixture is made with almond flour and makes a cake moister than the regular flour version.

You can also skip the flour altogether and use only toasted almonds. Our gluten-free and dairy-free version below uses less sugar and no butter. We have added dried clementines as an optional garnish.

Ingredients:1 pound clementines (

seedless variety is best), unpeeled, stem-free6 large eggs2 1/4 cups (280 g) sliced almonds1/2 cup (128 g) coconut flour2 teaspoons baking power1 teaspoon salt1/2 cup (64 g) monk fruit or coconut sugar1/4 cup vegetable oil (use grapeseed oil)1 teaspoon vanilla extractDried clementines 4 clementines, unpeeled, stemless

Preparation:

Cook the clementines and reduce them to a pulp in the food processor. Withdraw and reserve. Press the roasted almonds in the food processor until they are fine, then add the dry ingredients: coconut flour, baking power, salt and sugar. Add the 6 eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla and clementine puree. Process until well mixed, then pour the dough onto a silicone baking sheet and bake until a toothpick comes out clean (about 45 minutes).

Dried clementines:

• Cut 1/4-inch-thick clementines perpendicular to the stem, discarding the rounded ends and drying as much juice as possible with paper towels

.

• Place the slices on a rack and place them in the oven at 90ºC / 190ºF for at least 3-4 hours or overnight until perfectly dry. Store in an airtight container until the cake is ready.

We found this slightly sweet spicy cake to be good for breakfast, a snack or after dinner. When accompanied by a bottle of our Three Feathers Pinot Noir or Cuvée Virginia, the citrus flavors really stand out to their best advantage.