I’ve been simmering clementines.

I’ve been simmering clementines. Not an activity I’ve ever considered before, but after a very successful outcome, one I’ll be returning to.

Before I go any further I should point out it was all in the name of baking. In particular the baking of a soft, sticky cake which has gone straight onto the ‘can we have that one again please’ list in our house.

Amongst the ever-growing list of things I’ve missed these last twelve months, the joy of bookshop browsing ranks highly, in particular the cookbook sections of said shops. I’ve done some book buying via online options during lockdown, but to my mind cookbooks, more than any others, need to be picked up and fully perused before you make your decision. If the shop knows it’s stuff there will be somewhere comfy to sit with a coffee as you decide if these are recipes you want to own and make.

A couple of weeks ago I gave in and took the plunge. Ordering The New Way To Cake by Benjamina Ebuehi. I may not have been able to browse beforehand in the way I like, but I’d seen several of Benjamina’s recipes in the weekly Guardian food section and they were enough to make me think this would be my type of book. I’m pleased to say that two bakes in, the first an apple and hazelnut cake, it most definitely is.

An unexpected bonus of this bake was the wonderful smell in the kitchen after the clementines had been gently simmering for an hour on top of the oven. It was very nearly as good as the scent of freshly baked bread. Another one to consider if I ever manage that range of kitchen scented candles.

The cake uses a mixture of polenta and ground almond rather than flour. Mixed with the pulped clementines it produces a very soft texture which seems to get stickier still as the cake ages. It put me in mind of cakes I’ve had in Italian cafes or restaurants. A cake that wants a little bit of creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream on the side and a very good espresso to follow.

Benjamina’s recipe does make a very substantial cake. I halved everything for my first attempt and it worked fine. However if you have a good appetite, I’ve listed the full ingredients below.

Ingredients

• 6 clementines
• 6 eggs
• 275g caster sugar
• 150g ground almonds
• 85g polenta
• 1tsp baking powder
• 0.25tsp ground ginger

Method

• Grease and line the bottom of a 23cm cake tin. Preheat the oven to gas mark 5
• Put the clementines in a saucepan of water, bring to the boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. After 20 minutes change the water, bring it back to a simmer and leave for a further 30 minutes. The clementines should now be very soft. Cut them into quarters, leave the skin on but remove any pips. Place the quarters in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar until smooth. Fold in the clementine puree. Then stir in the polenta, almonds, baking powder and ground ginger.
• Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45 to 55 minutes.
• The cake may brown quite quickly. Check after 30 minutes and if needs be cover it with foil for the remainder of the bake.