Almond Cake with Clementine Syrup & Chocolate Glaze

From the blog For Love of the Table

100 g. cake flour

1/2 t. salt

200 g. unsalted butter

300 g. granulated sugar

Zest of 4 clementines

Zest of 1 lemon

280 g. fine almond meal, lightly toasted (see notes)

1 t. vanilla

5 large eggs, room temperature

Juice of 4 clementines, strained

Juice of 1 lemon, strained

80 g. sugar

90 g. unsalted butter, diced

150 g. bittersweet chocolate, broken up

1/2 T. (10 g.) honey

1/2 T. brandy

55 to 60 gr. diced candied orange peel

Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter a 9 1/2-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper. Butter the parchment. Dust the pan with flour and set aside.

Sift the cake flour and salt onto a piece of parchment and set aside.

In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and zests and continue to beat until fluffy and white, about 5 minutes on medium-high speed.

Turning the speed down to low, add the vanilla and almond meal. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is again fluffy—another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating briefly again on medium-high speed after each addition until the batter returns to fluffiness and scraping down the sides before each next addition.

Fold in the sifted dry ingredients. Turn into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. The cake is done when it is a deep golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

When the cake is almost done baking, in a small pan bring the citrus juices (you should have about 120ml...don't use any more than this) and another 80 grams of sugar to a boil. Remove from the heat.

The moment the cake comes out of the oven, run a thin palette knife around the edge and release the sides. Immediately brush the cake all over with the syrup, continuing until all the syrup is absorbed. Leave the cake to cool completely. The cake may be served as is, or glazed with a chocolate icing.

To make the icing, melt the butter, chocolate and honey together in the microwave or over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Stir in the brandy. Pour the icing over the cooled cake, allowing it to dribble naturally down the sides...it may not cover the cake completely. Allow the icing to set. Garnish with diced candied peel, if you like.

Serve in thin wedges. (Slice the cake with a thin sharp knife that has been run under hot water and wiped clean...the hot knife will then slice cleanly through the set chocolate glaze.)

Serves 12.

Note: If you like, you may toast the almond meal. To toast nut flour, spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 350° oven until golden and fragrant—about five minutes. Cool before using. Watch carefully—it will darken and burn quickly.

(Recipe adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi)

http://www.forloveofthetable.com/2015/12/holiday-almond-cake-with-clementine.html

As published on forloveofthetable.com