Clementine Torte

I’ve been dying to make this since I Stumbled upon the recipe at Joy of Cakes a couple weeks ago. But when I made it the other day it wasn’t quite right – too moist and dense for my taste and the flavor was a bit bitter. It also seemed like the oven temperature was just too high to bake the cake through before browning it too much. So I made it again last night with a few modifications. And it came out great! It’s still quite moist but not as dense as the first attempt. And, according to the original recipe, the flavor gets even better after a couple days.

Clementine Torte

1 pound (450 g) clementines or satsumas (4 to 6, depending on size)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cup (250 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (100 g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (200 g) almond meal

Place clementines in a stainless steel stock pot and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours. Drain the clementines and cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9″ springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Once the clementines have cooled completely, cut them in half and discard any seeds. Place the fruit halves (skins and all) along with the baking soda in a food processor and process until smooth.

In the bowl of your mixer, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat on high speed until the mixture is light and foamy (like a whole-egg meringue), about five minutes. Add the pureed clementines and stir to combine.

Sift together the flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the batter until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Set cake on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely in the pan before removing it. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or creme fraiche.