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Clementine yoghurt cake

Name: Clementine yoghurt cake
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Ingredients: seedless clementines 4, 3 whole, 1 zested and 2 tbsp juice; golden caster sugar 200g; salted butter 200g, softened plus more for the tin; eggs 4; gluten-free self-raising flour 250g; polenta 100g; baking powder 1 tsp; xanthum gum 1/2 tsp; Greek yoghurt 150g; orange blossom water 1 tbsp; salted butter 200g, softened; icing sugar 500g, sieved; vanilla extract 1 tsp; greek yogurt 100g, at room temperature

1 hour 40 minutes plus chilling
serves 12
Easy

Our gluten-free festive clementine cake makes a great alternative to traditional Christmas puds. Slice it up and watch everyone come running for a piece of this fruity and sweet, yoghurty deliciousness

By Jordan Kelly-Linden

Published: December 14, 2015 at 12:52 pm

Try our clementine yoghurt cake, then check out our classic Christmas cake, snowball cake, Italian Christmas cake and more Christmas baking recipes.

*This recipe is gluten free according to industry standards

Ingredients

seedless clementines 4, 3 whole, 1 zested and 2 tbsp juice
golden caster sugar 200g
salted butter 200g, softened plus more for the tin
eggs 4
gluten-free self-raising flour 250g
polenta 100g
baking powder 1 tsp
xanthum gum 1/2 tsp
Greek yoghurt 150g
orange blossom water 1 tbsp

FROSTING

salted butter 200g, softened
icing sugar 500g, sieved
vanilla extract 1 tsp
greek yogurt 100g, at room temperature

Method

Step 1

Put the whole clementines in a saucepan, cover with water, then bring to the boil and simmer for 35 minutes until the fruit is really tender. If the clementines won’t stay submerged, sit an old saucer or small lid on top of them to weigh them down. Drain the fruit, then whizz to a purée and leave to cool.
Step 2

When the purée has cooled, heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4, butter the bases of 3 x 20cm cake tins and line with baking paper.
Step 3

Put the sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs, then fold through the flour, polenta, baking powder, xanthum gum, yogurt, orange blossom water and 2 tbsp clementine juice with the cooled purée.
Step 4

Divide between the tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to wire racks and leave to cool completely.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING

Step 1

Beat the butter with half the icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the remaining icing sugar until smooth, then briefly beat in the yogurt in three batches – don’t overbeat or the icing may split.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

Step 1

Spread two of the sponges with a thick layer of icing and put in the fridge to firm up for 20 minutes.
Step 2

Stir the clementine zest through the remaining icing.
Step 3

Sandwich the two chilled layers, with the plain third on top. Use a big palette knife to cover the whole cake with a thin layer of the zesty icing, filling any gaps between sponges.

Decorate your gluten free Christmas cake like ours

Use woody herbs like thyme or rosemary, and leaves like eucalyptus or bay (remember to tell people the leaves are inedible if giving as a gift). Brush lightly with beaten egg white, then dip or dust in caster sugar. Do the same with extra whole clementines and leave for half an hour for the sugar to set, before arranging on top.

Cook's note: We used Doves Farm gluten free flour, available from dovesfarm.co.uk or ocado.com

Looking for more gluten free baking? Click the link to see more exciting recipes...