Clementine & almond syrup cake

This fragrant cake has a wonderful light texture and will keep, covered, for at least a week. Oranges will make an adequate substitute for clementines.

Ingredients

• 200g unsalted butter
• 300g caster sugar
• Grated zest of 4 clementines
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 280g ground almonds
• 5 medium eggs, beaten
• 100g plain flour, sifted
• Pinch of salt

Clementine and Lemon Syrup

• 80g caster sugar
• Juice of 4 clementines
• Juice of 1 lemon

Chocolate ganache

• 90g unsalted butter, diced
• 150g good-quality dark chocolate, broken up
• ¾ tbsp honey

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Lightly grease a 24cm spring-form tin and line the sides and base with baking parchment.
3. Place the butter, 300g sugar and both zests in a mixer bowl and use a beater attachment to combine everything well on a slow speed.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and pale in colour.
5. Add the eggs gradually, and as the machine is running, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl a couple of times as you go.
6. Using a spatula, fold in the ground almonds, flour and salt and work them until the mix is completely smooth.
7. Spread the cake batter into the cake tin and level it out with a palette knife.
8. Place the cake in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes.
9. Check that it’s ready by inserting a skewer.

10. It should come out a little bit moist.

11. When the cake is almost cooked through place the remaining sugar and the citrus juices in a small saucepan and bring to the boil (the juices should add up to approximately 120ml remove some if needed).

12. When it comes to the boil, remove the syrup from the heat.

13. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, brush it with the boiling syrup, making sure all the syrup is soaked through.

14. Leave the cake to cool down completely in the tin before you remove it.

Clementine and orange cake cont.

Icing the cake

1. Put the butter, chocolate and the honey in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water.

2. Stir until everything is melted, remove from the heat immediately.

3. Pour the icing over the cool cake, allowing it to dribble naturally around the sides without covering the cake completely.

4. Allow to set.