Keeping Clementine Cake

Asked by Unknown. Answered on 23rd September 2014

Full question

Thie Clementine Cake is wonderful, but I want to know whether it has gone off or not. Can you help?

I have made the Clementine Cake from How To Eat several times, and shared the recipe with friends who loved it. However, we find it tends to go mouldy incredibly quickly - overnight if kept at room temperature. Just wondering if anyone else has had problems? We usually try to gobble it all up in one sitting now as it's too much of a waste otherwise! Anngus.

Our answer

Nigella's Clementine Cake (from How To Eat and on the Nigella website) is a very moist cake as it is made with whole fruits (simmered until soft) and ground almonds (almond meal). Usually the cake will keep well for 5 to 7 days, in a cool place.

However if the cake is kept in particularly warm conditions (such as hot central heating or in a spell of very warm weather) then it can deteriorate more quickly, particularly if it is kept in a tightly plastic box (as the cake will tend to sweat). Developing mould overnight seems a little fast but if the cake is showing signs of mould or smells fermented then it should be dicarded. Try to keep the cake in a cool place and if it is not possible then we would suggest keeping it in the refrigerator, or eating a section and freezing the remainder for another time.