The holidays basically mean one thing in my house. DESSERT! With that said, being so close to the new year always makes me feel full of hope and excitement, ready for what could be next. Strange thing though is at the same time I want to run and scream. This is where my debut recipe for Interiors by Mae comes in.
I was on the hunt for something new to make that could end up a holiday staple with my family. Adapted from a Nigella Lawson post I came across recently, I was very intimidated by this recipe. Intrigued by the ingredients, but scared to death of the process, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. Once I got passed my initial fear and embraced the somewhat unique approach to this cake, I was pleasantly surprised by how quick and easy it all was (that is, after boiling the clementines of course). I have become very adamant about mixing all of the ingredients by hand with this recipe. Hand mixers I've found will froth the egg too much and you will end up with a lot of air bubbles and a bumpy, uneven cake. Not to mention that if you choose to use a glaze, it won't spread properly over the entire surface.
Kind of sweet, kind of spicy, with mild citrus undertones, the glaze really pulls it all together. Warmth, surprise, and accomplishment. All in all this cake sums up the holiday season. Enjoy!
Happy Holidays!
Lola
CLEMENTINE SPICE CAKE
5-6 clementines, about 1 lb. total
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups ground almonds (I buy raw and grind them myself)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
In a large pot of cold water, add the whole clementines and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 2 hours. Drain, and when cooled, cut each one in half and remove any seeds. Finely chop the whole batch (rind and all!) in a food processor or blender. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 375° F
Grease an 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
Wisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, baking powder, and spices. Mix together well, then stir in the ground almonds. Once fully incorporated, fold in the chopped clementines.
Pour cake mixture into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Make sure to cover with foil after the first 20-30 minutes so the sides and top of your cake don't brown too much. You will know it is done when you insert a skewer into the middle and it comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Make sure it is fully cooled before you try to remove the cake from the pan.
GLAZE (optional)
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1/3 cup citrus juice or water (I use the extra juice from the clementines)
1 Tblsp cocoa powder, unsweetened (optional)*
Wisk confectioners sugar, citrus juice, and cocoa powder (optional) together until fully mixed. The consistency of the glaze is very important, so don't be afraid add more liquid (teaspoon at a time) in case it is too thick (or more sugar if it is too thin).
Pour the glaze over the cake, starting from the middle. Should cover the entire top and drizzle down the sides. Let set 1-2 hours.
*I decided to omit the cocoa powder in the glaze this time around, but it is definitely still delicious either way!
