Clementine Cake – a Dairy and Wheat Free Seasonal Delight!

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Turn a few ingredients into a simple and delicious cake or dessert.

I included a version of this recipe in my first book, Focus on Flavour. It is a great way of using eggs and at this time of year, when there is an abundance of clementines (or satsumas or tangerines), it makes a great treat, with the added bonus of having no flour or added fat and being relatively low in sugar. So it is excellent for anyone looking for a wheat / gluten and dairy free cake or dessert.

I first heard of this from Claudia Roden and later came across it on Nigella.com.

I have reduced the sugar significantly, it really does not need to be particularly sweet, let the flavour and sweetness of the fruit shine through!

_MG_9021 If you cut the cake into 12 slices, it comes to less than 180 calories a piece.  We will have it with some lovely thick greek yogurt, or a scoop of chocolate sorbet, as a dessert. A small sliver would go very well with a cup of espresso if you have guests to please….

I plan to freeze half of it.

Clementine Cake
Serves 12
A moist and fruity gluten- and dairy-free cake or dessert, making the most of seasonal clementines and eggs, with ground almonds for body.
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Prep Time
2 hr 15 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
3 hr 15 min
Prep Time
2 hr 15 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
3 hr 15 min
Ingredients
  1. 6 clementines (or satsumas or tangerines, use 8 if small - about 440g in total)
  2. 225g ground almonds
  3. 50g soft brown sugar
  4. 6 eggs
  5. 1 tsp baking powder (heaped)
Instructions
  1. Put fruit in pan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, cover and simmer 2 hours.
  2. Drain and cool.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  4. Cut the fruit in half, discarding the seeds and stalks.
  5. Blitz (skins and all) in a food processor.
  6. Add the other ingredients and pulse until integrated.
  7. Pour into a greased, lined, loose-bottomed 20cm cake tin.
  8. Bake for 1 hour, covering with paper after 40 minutes to prevent browning too much.
  9. A skewer should come out clean when the cake is cooked.
  10. Cool in the tin on a wire rack.
  11. Turn out and sprinkle with icing sugar.
  12. Serve with dairy free chocolate sorbet or sauce for a luscious dessert, or with a dollop pf thick greek yogurt if dairy is ok.
Notes
  1. Although this requires a long time for the fruit to soften, they don't need to be closely watched and that can be done the evening before if you wish. Actually making the cake takes hardly any time or effort at all!
Adapted from Claudia Roden
Adapted from Claudia Roden
Focus on Flavour https://www.focusonflavour.com/

Family-friendly dairy and soya free 5:2 meal plan

So excited to have our son and his family coming to stay! With our little grand-daughter having allergies to dairy and soya, I need to think ahead to make sure I have some tasty ideas for all of us to enjoy together. We are planning to continue with two fast days too. 

Thanks so much to everyone on the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Recipes from Around the World group who have contributed ideas!

It’s a fabulous time for fruit here, plus of course the summer vegetables which are beginning to be abundant.

Sunday:  family lunch for 8
Melon with charcuterie (air-dried ham, saucisson, coarse paté) and sun-dried tomatoes
Duck Confit pie, topped with sliced potato
Tomato and Cucumber salad, Carrot and Cumin salad
Strawberry Lavender Sorbet with fresh Peaches

dinner for 6
Baba Ganoush / Hummus / Crudites / Seedy Flatbread
Baked whole Salmon, with potatoes, green beans and garlicky courgettes. This will give us leftovers to make into fish cakes.
Creme Catalan au Lavande, made with almond or oat milk

Monday – fast day 
apple and peanut butter slices, Scrambled egg on toast for those that are having lunch

Chunky Vegetable Soup
Fish Cakes with Carrot and Courgette ribbons
Melon and Ginger Sorbet

Tuesday – picnic up at the lake where there is a beach
Sausage Rolls, Cole Slaw, Sweet Potato crisps, Ants on a Log
Rasberries and hopefully fresh Apricots from the garden
Forking Foodie: Chocolate Pecan Fudge and Cocoa Dusted Truffles

Onion Bhaji
Chicken Curry, Lentil Dhal, Chapatti (by special request)
Raspberry Marshmallow Mousse

Wednesday
lunch – out in Cahors (market day, carousel, little train, toy shop….)

Pulled Pork with an assortment of veggies
Apricot Frangipane Tart

Thursday – fast day
for those eating lunch: Pulled Pork wraps 
Frozen Banania lollies

Dips and breadsticks
BBQ Chicken Skewers/Sausages/ Sweetcorn/Courgettes with Boston Baked Beans 
Apple and Blackcurrant Compote with Nutty Crumble Topping

Friday
Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad with Garlic Breadsticks
Nectarines, Raspberries and Melon

Pasta with Meatballs and Tomato Sauce
Chocolate Mousse with raspberry wafers

Saturday 
Citrus Roast Chicken with Peppers and Sweet Potato
Garden Fruit Salad