chocolate-covered almond clementine cakeschocolate-covered almond clementine cakeschocolate-covered almond clementine cakeschocolate-covered almond clementine cakeschocolate-covered almond clementine cakeschocolate-covered almond clementine cakeschocolate-covered almond clementine cakeschocolate-covered almond clementine cakeschocolate-covered almond clementine cakeschocolate-covered almond clementine cakeschocolate-covered almond clementine cakes

One of my favourite simple / moist / citrusy / zesty / refreshing desserts (you’d think they were soaked in a syrup) . . . 

And a definite favourite of my friends since they’re always asking me to make some and bring them over to accompany their dinner parties or brunches (instead of the usual bottle of wine).

Now since clementines are a seasonal fruit, I make a point of always having little pre-measured containers of the clementine purée in my freezer for whenever i need to make some quickly. I usually get a dozen clementines during the winter holidays and boil and proccess them up and store them away in my freezer (which is unfortunately too small or already too jam-packed), but a few ready-to-use containers are a comfort to me. The chocolate covering is just an extra touch but they’re great with or without.

You can also try making these with unsweetened fruit purée such as apple sauce or substitute the ground almond flour with ground hazelnut flour. There’s a lemon and lime version which is quite tasty too but the rinds are much thicker so at some point you’ll have to dilute the stickier gooey purée with some orange juice and probably increase the sugar by a third (half is too much and will make the cakes drop) ...

Got it ? Good.

chocolate-covered almond clementine cakes

12.03.2015

8-12 small cakes

ingredients

  • 10-12 squares of dark chocolate (100-125 grams)
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 candied clementine, cut into 8-12 wedges
  • 8-12 roasted almonds

optional : to flavor the melted chocolate, add 2 drops of bitter almond essential oil or 1/8 tsp of almond extract and 2 drops of essential oil of orange or just some grated orange zest 

  • 3 organic clementines with the peel still on (to make 225 grams of purée)
  • 125 grams of almond powder
  • 100 grams of sugar
  • 3 eggs (155 grams)
  • 10 grams of baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tbsp tbsp cornstarch (15-21 grams)
  • 1-2 pinches of salt
  • some melted butter for the mould
    optional : 2 drops of bitter almond essential oil or 1/4 tsp of almond extract and 2 drops of essential oil of orange and 1 tbsp of candied orange bits

instructions

part 1

  • place the 3 clementines in a pot of cold water and boil for 60 minutes (the skin sometimes cracks open, that’s ok)
  • drain water and let cool
  • cut boiled clementines in half, remove seeds and put in food processor to create a purée (you will need 250 grams of purée for this recipe)

part 2

  • fill a small pan with water and boil remove from heat
  • place chocolate squares in a small pot and place inside the pan of hot water and gently stir while melting
  • when fully melted and if you can, add a pinch of salt and some drops of almond and orange essential oils or some orange zest to flavour it
  • using the same silicone mini-cake mould you will use for baking the cakes (or another if you have two) place the mould onto a metal cookie sheet
  • drop the melted chocolate in each cavity, and spread it out evenly to create identical disks of chocolate by gently smoothing with a small spoon and tapping it onto a hard surface
  • gently place 1 almond and 1 slice of candied clementine on each chocolate disk
  • let the chocolate disks cool inside the moulds and let chill and set in the refrigerator for an hour or so
  • after one hour (or more) carefully remove the chocolate disks from the silicone moulds and place them bottom-side up onto a sheet of waxed paper on a cool plate and put back inside the refrigerator

part 3

  • preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F)
  • with a hand-held mixer or by hand with a whisk, beat the 3 eggs and sugar together until smooth
  • add the clementine purée and vanilla and salt and keep mixing
  • add the almond powder and mix until smooth
  • if you have some, add the drops of orange and/or almond essential oils and candied orange bits and mix
  • add the cornstarch and baking powder
  • brush some melted butter inside your mould, flour it too if you prefer
  • gently pour clementine cake batter inside the moulds, filling each cavity approximately 2/3 of the way up
  • bake for 30 minutes until golden at 180°C (355°F), rotate the pan once half-way through the cooking time
  • let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing individual cakes from the silicone mould
  • flip the cakes out of the mould, upside-down

part 4

  • while still slightly warm to the touch (very slightly warmer than your hands) and with a small knife, gently place chocolate disks on each individual cake (or simply melt some chocolate and use it as a glue)

note : the residual warmth of the cakes will slightly soften the chocolate disks and bind it to the cake

  • place individual cakes in refrigerator and wait until the chocolate re-solidifies and serve slightly cold…

recette suivante

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