Candied Clementine Cake
For those of you that want to try out the candied clementines but maybe don’t want to eat them whole (yes, you can eat the peel!), I offer you this lovely clementine bundt cake. It’s a more traditional dessert for sure, but I think more broadly appealing than the candied clementines.
I blended up the candied clementines I had leftover from the last post, and it became this gorgeous, thick, marmalade-like spread. I thought it would be absolutely perfect to flavor a bundt cake with, and I was right. I think I prefer the cake to the clementines alone!
This cake was so perfectly moist and fluffy, I nearly teared up when I had the first bite. It’s a wonderful combination of sweet, citrusy, and slightly bitter (in a good way) from the peel. The clementine flavored poured fondant is really the ideal topping. But don’t get scared off at the mention of poured fondant. It’s super easy. And it’s bakery quality icing. You have to try it!
You see, I like icing glazes, but it can be tricky to get the thickness right when you’re mixing powdered sugar with liquid. Too thin and it just soaks into the cake a disappears, too thick and it doesn’t pour at all. And there’s always that vague grainy mouth feel it leaves behind, thanks to the cornstarch in the powdered sugar. I thought if I cooked it a little bit the powdered sugar would dissolve and help thicken the sugar (same idea for your basic stir-fry sauce thickened with cornstarch!). But then I also remembered poured fondant.
I discovered poured fondant when I made petits fours. It’s a sugar-based icing that is heated until the “soft ball” stage, or 235-240º F. If you have a candy thermometer handy, use it, but it’s NOT necessary. Since we’re only making a small amount of icing, I can pretty much guarantee you that boiling the icing for 10-20 seconds will bring you to the soft ball stage. Easy.
The cool part about fondant? It sets, hard and glossy, when it cools. So once you’ve heated it enough, you whisk it off the heat until it starts to thicken and pour it over your cake. And like magic, it’ll harden and you’ll have totally perfect, totally professional-looking icing on your cake. The icing in the photos? Completely dry and set, even though it looks like it was just poured. And if it cools too much before you’re ready to ice, just re-heat it to thin.
Plus, it tastes amazing because I use fresh clementine juice for the liquid as opposed to water. Give it a try, I’m sure you’ll love it.
Candied Clementine Cake
Makes One Bundt Cake
1 1/2 Cup Candied Clementine Puree, around 5-8 clementines
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 1/4 Cup Soymilk, or other non-dairy milk
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Fresh Clementines, for garnish
Clementine Poured Fondant
1 1/4 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
3 Tbs Fresh Clementine Juice, or other citrus (about 3 clementines)
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Puree the clementines in a food processor until fairly smooth, but small bits of peel are desirable in my opinion!
Combine the clementine puree with the oil, soymilk, and sugar. Whisk until smooth.
Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in another bowl.
Grease a bundt pan with spray oil, vegan margarine like Earth Balance, or vegetable shortening. Scoop a few spoonfuls of the dry mixture into the greased bundt pan and turn the pan to coat the sides and center spike. Rap the pan against the counter to loosen any extra flour and pour it back into the dry mixture.
Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture until combined. Pour the batter into prepared bundt pan. It’s okay if it’s a little thick.
Bake at 350º F for 45-50 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool upside-down on a large plate. After a few minutes the cake should drop out of the pan onto the plate in one piece, assuming you didn’t miss any spots when greasing and dusting with flour. Let cake cool completely before icing.
Clementine Poured Fondant
Whisk powdered sugar with 3 Tbs of clementine juice. Add to a small sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil for 10-20 seconds, or until it reaches the soft-ball stage (235-240º F).
Remove from heat and whisk constantly until it starts to thicken. At first, the icing will be a glossy yellow (similar to egg yolks), and it will gradually thicken and become lighter as it cools. You want to pour it over the cake when it’s very clearly thickened, but not too cool (i.e. thick) to pour. If the icing becomes too thick, simply reheat and start again.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar to finish, and garnish with fresh clementine segments.
Moist and fluffy, you say?? Perfection.
This looks fantastic! Great tips on the icing. I always found vegan icing hard to make.
The bundt cake looks awesome but I am far more excited by the prospect of an icing that doesn’t just run-off the sides of it! Yet again, thanks for the tute!
This looks beautiful and delicious! Wow! :)
howww pretty and bright and so adorable!
After drooling over the first couple pictures, it was the 6th picture that really caught my eye. It looks supremely moist and fluffy, making me want to just reach through the screen and take a bite =)
Beautiful! It sounds so delicious and refreshing! What a great way to use the bounty of citrus at the farmer’s market! :)
Looks lovely and thanks for the tips on fondant icing too :)
Wow! As I told you on Twitter, THIS will be my birthday cake this year! Simply loooove clemetines! And love your blog too :-)
Now this takes real talent! :D Incredibly creative with clementine flavor at so many levels. I would make the candied clementines just to make this! And poured fondant – I’ve never even heard of it before, but I know I’ve seen it in bakeries and patisseries before. Absolutely fantastic.
Ah, that looks gorgeous! You definitely got me with that clementine glaze. Beautiful.
I knew there had to be a god use for those babies!
That is just beautiful! Almost too pretty to eat…….I said almost….I can’t believe you were able to resist a few bites while taking those gorgeous pictures! Lovely :)
mmmmmmmm!
i just downloaded your iPhone app :)
Wow. This sounds delicious!
This looks amazing – great photography. I think I will go to the farmer’s market this weekend and stock up :)
looks delicious and the photos are might sweet too.
do you think the candied clementine puree could be substituted with anything else?
a jam or marmalade, for instance.
maybe that consistancy would be completely off, though.
this sounds and looks simply glorious.
Not only is the cake gorgeous, and the photos, but I love the idea behind it so much! – I’m definitely making the candied clementines and cake for valentine’s day – AWESOME good job, thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness! This is a must-bake! Gorgeous pictures, by the way…
How beautiful! The photos are wonderful. I’ve tried poured fondant before on a cake, and it made the most delicious topping!
I came home last night with a box of clementines I’d bought on sale for $2….and then wondered what on earth I was going to do with them! Plan A was originally to simply have an entire day of mad clementine munching, but THIS is much better. Thanks!
BTW, I don’t know if you’re even aware, but when I checked your site this morning, I almost fell over to see M&M/Mars advertising on your homepage!!! PLEASE tell me that was a mistake. A company that conducts animal testing has no business advertising on a vegan website. ;)
Hi Linda! Thanks for giving me the heads-up about the ad. It is indeed a mistake. The advertising company I use works with me to provide only vegan ads, but sometimes some slip though (like this one!). I’m emailing them right now to have it removed, and I really appreciate you catching it! Thanks a million!
You are so creative Lauren….while I did not fancy the idea of eating candied mandarin oranges, making this for your cake is!
Obsessed with citrus cakes…and, really, citrus in general as of late. And brussell sprouts. Go figure.
This looks like a pure burst of sunshine on a cake platter!
VERY LOVELY PICTURES :) and the cake looks delectable
ooh, so decadent!!
Sounds lovely especially over the winter season !
actually, if you are a vegan who is avoiding honey and bee-related products, then you cannot eat the peel. Most store bought clementines are covered with beeswax.
Your photos are so sunny. How do you always take such good pictures while you’re cooking? Those are really helpful. I’m always in such a cooking frenzy that I forget to take process photos.
Wow, that looks beautiful and sounds so tasty! Lovely post!
:) CQ
Absolutely mouthwatering. Siimple summertime perfection for a dessert when impressing the omnis! :D
You amaze me each and every time! Your photos are amazing! You are a true inspiration to me!
Well, I’ll be…this cake looks mighty tasty. Guess I be making this one day next week with the little ones.
Thanks for the recipe!
This may be the most amazing looking deliciousness ever. Can’t wait to try it out in my kitchen this weekend! Thank you! -e
Your photos rule!
Cheers,
Kristen
I have to make this right now!!! wonderful pictures, wonderful you…
Beautiful! Looks delicious.
That poured fondant is blowing my mind! You are awesome for thinking of that. I always hate how my thin powdered sugar-based glazes disappear into a cake!
oh… oh my! delicious!
The quality of your blog just blows me away. The pictures, the recipes, it is all so amazing and beautiful. You are so talented you never cease to inspire and thrill me!
Amazing! I’m definitely trying this!
I agree with all the other posts that these appear to be a truly unique and aesthetic twist a classic holiday dessert. However, I feel the need to chime in with a bit of health advice. Studies have shown that the nasty pesticides used in agriculture are ingested by us when we eat food that is not organically grown (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/349263_pesticide30.html). I would be very apprehensive about suggesting to eating the skin of a non-organic clementine. Ridicules amounts of these harmful chemicals are dumped on citrus crops, which have been linked canser, nervous system damage,and disrupting brain development in children. Considering the risks; the extra cost of buying organic is small especially if you are planning to eat the skin of the fruit. Please recommend organic produce in future posts where the risk of ingesting pesticides is high, our children and future generations will thanks you.
If the health benefits of going organic don’t convince you then, think about the needless death and suffering that occurs when our land, water and communities are poisoned. Humans, bumble bees, fish, birds, animals big and small have been adversely effected by exposure to pesticides.
Hi Anna, thanks for your comment. I cook with only organic fruits and veggies, and I suggest others do the same. :)
oh gosh this looks soooo tasty!
I’m going to have to try this soon.
I’m excited to try making this one. I’m really intrigued by the pourable fondant. We have been eating oranges like they’re going out of style here, being stuck in the midwest without many in-season options and no farmer’s market. Seeing the sunny photos really cheered me up in this dreary weather, so thanks!
Although usually not a fan of clementines, those pictures have me switching teams…
lordy, you are amazing. this looks simply decadent.
yumyumyum.
i despise not having an oven in my dorm.
:{
Oh wow, this looks amaaaazing! We can never seem to finish a box of clementines before they go bad… looks like you found the solution for me!!
I also want to know if you think marmalade could be substituted for the candied clementines?