Clementine cake..

This is Claudia Roden's orange and almond cake recipe which I have slightly adapted by using clementines instead of the 2 whole oranges and topped with a cream cheese orange zest icing.

You do need a food processor for this, unless your going for the more authentic 1968 version where you had to press the oranges through a sieve. This is the perfect cake for those of us who have problems with gluten and/or butter as it is without both.

2 whole oranges or 5 clementines

6 organic eggs

250g ground almonds

250g unrefined caster sugar

1 tsp baking powder g/f

Icing..

2 tubs of cream cheese

Icing sugar, sifted enough to your own taste preference

Zest of one orange

Butter or cake release spray for the tin

Dusting of flour

190c pre heated oven/170c fan assisted

8inch round springform tin

Wash and boil the oranges unpeeled in water, enough to cover for 1/2 hours - clementines will need a lot less cooking time, just until the skin is nice and soft.

Leave them to cool, then cut open and remove the pips. Chop into large pieces and place in the processor. Add the eggs and remaining ingredients and whizz until everything is well incorporated.

You may need to check that all the almonds have blended properly.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for an hour. It should have a nice brown colour to the top. Leave to cool on a wire rack for about 10 mins then loosen the tin. You may find the cake sticks 

to the sides of the tin a little due to the sugar fruit juice mix, if so just go round the inside rim of the tin with flat edged spatula to loosen.

Turn out and leave to cool completely if you want to ice it.

Mix icing ingredients together in a large bowl. I don't tend to be too specific as I taste as I go.

Smooth over a cold cake and add extras as you like .