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Rick Stein’s Clementine, Almond and Olive Oil Cake

Rick Stein's Clementine, Almond and Olive Oil Cake, as seen on his BBC series, The Road to Mexico, is a perfectly moist cake and an ode to Californian citrus fruit.

From the book

Introduction

This cake is a celebration of Californian citrus fruit. After the gold rush, the prosperity of this state, the largest economy in the Union, came from the massive cultivation of oranges. Californians treat citrus in the same way as the British view apples. They know all the many varieties and shop for them by taste and name. To honour this, we filmed at a family citrus farm just outside Ojai in Ventura County, east of Santa Barbara. The owners, Jim Churchill and his wife Lisa Brenneis, were picking Pixie tangerines and Kishu mandarins and I ate them straight off the tree. Not being used to picking tangerines off the tree, it was a bit of an emotional moment for me. You can use any kind of small citrus fruit for this cake.

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Ingredients

2 large clementines (about 200g), scrubbed
4 large eggs
zest of 1 large lemon
160g caster sugar
100ml olive oil
175g ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder
icing or caster sugar, for dusting
For the syrup:
15g caster sugar
juice of 1 large lemon
To serve (optional):
250ml whipped cream
2-3 oranges, segmented

Essential kit

You will need: a food processor, a 20cm springform cake tin and an electric whisk.

Method

Put the whole clementines in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 20–30 minutes until the clementines are tender. Remove them and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut the fruit in half and, with the tip of a knife, remove and discard the pips. Put the skin and pulp in a food processor and blend to a paste.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C. Grease a 20cm springform cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment. Whisk the eggs, lemon zest and caster sugar in a bowl. Add the olive oil and beat until light and well combined. Add the clementine paste and stir, then fold in the ground almonds and baking powder.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for about 50 minutes or until well risen and golden. The cake should have slightly shrunken from the sides and be springy to the touch. Leave it to cool in the tin on a wire rack while you make the syrup.

Warm the sugar and lemon juice in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved. Make lots of small holes all over the cake with a piece of uncooked spaghetti and drizzle over the lemon syrup. Let the cake cool completely in the tin, then turn it out on to a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream and orange segements if you like.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars

17 Ratings

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17 Comments

    default user avatar Liz

    Wonderful alternative to Christmas cake with drizzled white icing and finely sliced orange circles on top

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    default user avatar Renée

    I have made this cake several times and it has always been a great hit. Love it

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    default user avatar Liz May

    Absolutely love this recipe, and friends who taste it always rave about it! Just such a Winter treat! Thank you

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    default user avatar Claire Powell.

    Easy to follow and make , delicious , made it several times since I watched Rick making it.

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    default user avatar Shirley Allen

    Fabulous moist cake ,made a lemon one as well but didn’t blend the lemons just added lemon juice and rind of two lemons instead of blended mandarins.

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    default user avatar Kris ashdown

    Best ever!!! Been making this cake over and over again and it’s sooooo delicious 😋

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    default user avatar Hannah

    this is a fabulous cake and perfect for those who need dairy and gluten free options!!

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    default user avatar Joanna Colvin

    It’s utterly divine and perfect for people with wheat problems but who loves Cake !!! It is one of those perfect cakes and I love it.

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    default user avatar Vanda Cornelius

    Loved the recipe but do not know why it has sunk in the middle again😡

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    default user avatar Nigel Russell

    Want to try it in an air fryer. Any thoughts on changes to recipe.

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    default user avatar Magickhour

    I make this all the time and it’s a firm favourite for all dietary needs!

    I’m wondering if anyone has ever tried freezing this cake with the drizzle done. If so I’d love to know how you got on!

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    default user avatar Sheila B

    A firm favourite ❤️

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    default user avatar Sharyn

    Fabulous cake, easy to make. Just love it

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    default user avatar NOVANNE CLARK

    Love this cake, I have made it with oranges, clementines, lemons and now have an orange and lemon cake baking right now. It freezes beautifully snd I get compliments whenever I make one. Fantastic

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    default user avatar Joanna

    Very easy recipe, and absolutely delicious cake

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    default user avatar Jules

    Really easy to make and a delicious moist cake. Great for those who are gluten free.

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    default user avatar Julie

    Absolutely delicious. So much extra flavour using the whole fruit. A show stopper!!

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From the book: Rick Stein: The Road to Mexico

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