Clementine Almond Cake

If you need a little sunshine this winter, this is your cake. Fresh and sunny, this orange cake is naturally gluten free. It is a great accompaniment to an afternoon coffee or tea.

The secret to its orangey flavor is using the whole clementine, skin and all, in the batter. The perfect zero waste cake! The ground almonds balance out the citrusy flavor. It is surprisingly simple to make… the only time consuming part is boiling the whole oranges. This cake is quickly becoming a family favorite!

Clementine Almond Cake

1 pound clementines/Mandarins

6 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 ½ cup ground almonds (pulse raw sliced almonds in a food processor into a coarse consistency)

1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 375

Cover clementines with water in a pot and boil for 2 hours covered. Drain and cool. Cut in half and remove seeds if any. Pulse oranges (skins and all) in a food processor until finely chopped.

Butter and line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper

In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add the sugar, ground almonds, and baking powder. Stir in chopped clementines until well incorporated.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour until internal temperature reaches 205°. Cover with foil after 40 minutes if needed to prevent the top from burning.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack. Once cool, remove from pan. Top with confectioners sugar or homemade yogurt for an amazing desert.

Recipe inspired by Nigella Lawson’s clementine cake.