Cooking Clementines for Cake
Asked by CharlotteElizabeth. Answered on 28th November 2015
Full question
Hello I'm cooking the clementines for the Clementine Cake but they're starting to burst. I'm worried the juice will escape into the water. They've been in about an hour and the recipe says two hours. They are quite small though (I needed 6 to get 375g). Please help!
Hi Is there any way of speeding up the 2 hours required for cooking the fruit in the Clementine Cake? Thanks Robyn
When making clementine cake (a go-to standby cake here!), can I boil the clementines in my slow cooker all day while I'm at work, allowing me to leisurely assemble the cake once I'm home, rather than preparing them in a rapid boil on the hob?
Our answer
Nigella's Clementine Cake (from How To Eat and on the Nigella website) uses whole clementines that have been boiled until they are soft. The whole fruit, including the skin, is then pureed and used in the cake. The recipe recommends 375g of clementines, which is approximately 3 medium to large clementines, but sizes do vary. Smaller clementines will have a shorter cooking time. If you remove a clementine and let it cool slighly, it should feel as if it is is soft all of the way through.
If the fruit has burst or split then remove it immediatley with a slotted spoon. It should still be fine to use the clementines if you catch them early. If the pureed clementines are on the thick side then add a small splash of water to loosen the puree slightly. We would avoid using the cooking water as it can be a little bitter. It is probably possible also to cook the clementines in a slow cooker, if you cover them with boiling water at the start and cook on high. The cooking time will be longer, though will vary according to the model of your slow cooker. You should start checking the clementines after 2 hours and remove them when they are soft all of the way through.
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What 1 Other has said
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Posted by CarlosDLS on 13th January 2023
Show more commentsI've seen clementine cake recipes where the approx 300 grams of whole clementines are softened in the microwave in a glass bowl covered loosely with a plate for approx 3 mins. Discard the juices that come out, and just blitz the cooled, softened clementines in a food processor to make the puree for the cake.