Old-Fashioned Clementine Cake
This syrup-soaked clementine cake is an easy, one-bowl recipe that is just the perfect way to use clementines when they’re in season.
It’s the kind of cake that is fantastic to have on your counter during the festive season to serve with a cup of coffee to guests. The clementine syrup soaks into the cake making this cake completely irresistible.
How to make clementine cake
- Dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl.
- Wet ingredients: Add the yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, canola oil and clementine zest and mix until just combined. The yogurt and oil guarantee an incredibly soft, moist cake once baked.
- Bake: Pour the batter into a lined loaf pan then place in a preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewers inserted comes out clean.
- Syrup: Combine the clementine juice, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until the syrup is the same consistency as maple syrup. Pour the syrup over the cake as it comes out of the oven. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Freezing and making ahead
- Freezing: The baked and cooled cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap well with plastic wrap and foil and place in the freezer. Thaw completely before serving.
- Make ahead: This cake will last for 3-4 days if kept covered at room temperature. Because this cake is not made with butter, you can keep it in the fridge as well and it won’t firm up.
Easy cake recipes
- Sour cream lemon cake
- Easy dulce de leche chocolate cake
- Toasted coconut cupcakes
- Pumpkin sheet cake with Chantilly cream
Servings: 12
Calories: 304kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 3 extra-large eggs
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- zest of 1 clementine
For the syrup
- 1 cup clementine juice
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and place in the oven.
- Allow to bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewers inserted comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, combine the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until the syrup is the consistency of maple syrup.
- When the cake comes out of the oven, pour the syrup over and allow to cool completely.
- Slice and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 138IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Is there something specifically special about clementines or can they be substituted with mineolas or other types of oranges?
Also wondering why caster sugar is called for rather than granulated sugar?
Thank You!
You can definitely substitute with another citrus. Caster sugar just melts into the batter faster but granulated will also work.
Hello! Hoping to make this first thing! May I ask if I can substitute caster sugar for granuated? It’s all I can find at the moment. 🙂
Thank you!
Yes, you can.
This was SO good – we loved it! Thank you for a great recipe. Do you store in fridge or on counter?
Absolutely delish. Light and fluffy and flavourful. My baking time was about double what the recipe says just FYI.
Could this be doublec and baked in a bundt pan? Thank you.
Absolutely. You’ll just have to adjust the baking time.
Last week I’ve “accidentally”came across your recipe after I’ve wanted to make a lemon drizzle and realised I didn’t have any lemons, only clementines! (Didn’t want to make a classic lemon drizzle and substitute with clementines. )The only changes I’ve made to your recipe was 1) added zest of 3 clementines as part of the ingredients 2) didn’t add any lemon to the syrup. This cake is an absolute winner! I’m baking another one today.
Wonderful, thanks so much for your comment Monika.
Salivating!
Having a huge craving for the cakes……
Lyk fantasties! Ek wil net weet watter botter/margarien gebruik jy vir jou gebak?
Dankie dat jy die lewe vir ons gewone kokke makliker maak.
Dit lyk en klink heerlik!!!
Pink: Thanks! 🙂
I’ve been craving cake since yesterday! Now I’ll have to make a plan. Looks fantastic Alida!
Ilse : You Have to always give into your cake cravings, it’s the healthy thing to do! 🙂
Sam, If you were closer I would bring you a slice! 🙂
Looks divine! Am loving clementines – even made my own marmelade the other day – but this surpasses (by far) anything I’ve attempted. Shoeg, ek’s nou baie lus daarvoor. x