Sicilian Clementine Cake

I am so happy to introduce you to this Sicilian clementine cake. As a Sicilian, citrus is a huge part of our cuisine and the citrus orchards in Sicily are famous worldwide. The soil, abundant sunshine and mid winters make for great growing conditions, so there are many wonderful citrus options to cook with, bake with and snack on.

The vibrant citrus options available in Sicily is the inspiration for this beautiful cake. The batter includes whole clementines (yep! peels, pulp, skin…all of it!) and can be baked in a variety of dishes. It is incredibly moist, tender and cheerful making for a perfectly sweet breakfast, afternoon snack or dessert.

Let’s get started…

Begin by creaming 7 tablespoons of softened salted butter with 1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar. Once they are completely combined, add 3 large eggs, 1/3 cup of plain greek yogurt and a teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix until light, fluffy and pale yellow in color.

Next, add 2 cups of all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt.

Be sure to fluff up your flour and spoon it into your measuring cups instead of scooping them down into the flour. Using the measuring cup to scoop into the flour will compact the flour too tightly and then can make the cake more dense than it should be.

Gently mix the dry ingredients into the batter until it is mostly combined.

Set the batter aside and place 2 large or 3 medium clementines into a food processor. I highly recommend using organic clementines that have been well scrubbed in this cake.

Blend the clementines until they are completely broken down and all of the peel is in tiny pieces.

Transfer the blended clementines into the batter and fold until it is evenly distributed throughout.

You can bake this cake in a variety of dishes. Anything with an 8 cup capacity should work fine here. I prefer a 9″x5″ loaf pan, but an 11″x7″ deep baking dish or an 8″ square cake pan will also work.

Grease the dish and line with parchment paper before adding the batter.

Baking Times for your Sicilian Clementine Cake

• • • If you are using a 9″x5″ loaf pan, bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes
    • If you are using an 11″x7″ deep baking dish, bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes
    • If you are using an 8″ square cake pan, bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes

The cake is ready to come out of the oven when the top feels fully set and not wobbly in the center. A toothpick should come out clean from the middle of the cake when it is fully baked.

This cake is super moist, but if you take it out of the oven before it is fully baked, it will collapse in the middle as it cools, so be sure that the center does not feel too soft or wobbly. Every oven is different and this cake make take a little longer or shorter than my recommended times in your oven, so keep an eye on it and when everything feels fully set, take it out and let it cool for 10-15 minutes in the baking dish before transferring the cake out of it.

Once the cake has cooled, whisk 1-2 tablespoons of fresh clementine juice into 1 1/2 cups of sifted confectioners sugar to create a brightly flavored glaze to top the cake with.

If you plan to enjoy this cake for breakfast or an afternoon snack, I usually omit the glaze, but if you have dessert plans for this beauty then drizzle away…

This cake is simply wonderful. It is very moist and tender with so much cheerful clementine flavor. I love seeing the little orange specks throughout each slice. The outer edges become slightly caramelized, which is one of my favorite parts.

Whether you are looking for a perfectly sweet breakfast, an afternoon slice with tea or espresso or a bright and cheerful dessert this Sicilian clementine cake is it. It is great year round and stays moist for several days at room temperature, so it makes a great gift for some very lucky friend as well.