Mary Berry Classic: Clementine cake  | Daily Mail Online

This cake has an impressively well-risen deep sponge, flecked with soft orange peel, and using the whole clementine gives a wonderful moistness. Everyone loves this!

SERVES 6-8

COOK TIME 1-1¼ hours, plus cooling

275g (10oz) cold baking spread, plus extra for greasing

1 large or 2 small clementines (about 125g/4½ oz), peeled (see tips)

275g (10oz) caster sugar

275g (10oz) self-raising flour

4 large eggs

FOR THE ICING

250g (9oz) full-fat mascarpone cheese

75g (3oz) butter, softened

175g (6oz) icing sugar, sifted

1 You will need two 20cm (8in) round, loose-bottomed sandwich tins. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, then grease the tins with baking spread and line each base with a disc of baking paper.

2 Place the clementine(s) in a pan of water and cover with a lid. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30-40 minutes until soft. Leave to cool, then slice into quarters and remove any pips or bits of pith. Roughly chop and transfer to a bowl.

3 Measure the baking spread, sugar and flour into a bowl and add the eggs. Beat together with an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy, then stir in all but 1 tablespoon of clementine pulp. Divide the mixture into the tins and level the tops.

4 Bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes until well risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool in the tins until cold enough to handle, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool down completely. Peel off the lining paper from each sponge (see tips).

5 Meanwhile, make the icing. Whisk the mascarpone, butter and icing sugar together until smooth and fluffy, then stir in the reserved clementine pulp.

6 Place one sponge on a serving plate and spread over half the icing, then sandwich together with the second sponge and spread the remaining icing on top.

PREPARE AHEAD

♥ Can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead. The icing can be made up to 3 days ahead, without the clementine pulp, and stored in the fridge. Add the pulp just before finishing the cake.

FREEZE

♥ The sponges freeze well (without the icing).

MARY’S CLASSIC TIPS

♥ Other orange varieties can be substituted for this recipe, tangerines being the closest alternative.

♥ To avoid marking the sponges on the wire rack, place them with the paper-lined side down and remove the paper just before sandwiching the cakes together.

 



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk