Clementine Cakes

Hello citrus season! Adorably tiny clementines are back in grocery stores again, and it’s time to celebrate with adorably tiny desserts! To make these, I basically took a pound cake batter, added orange liqueur, citrus zest, and clementine juice, and made a citrus glaze to go on top. If that isn’t winning at life, I don’t know what is.

You don’t necessarily need any special bakeware to make these little clementine cakes. I used ramekins, but you could also use a muffin tin. As long as they’re tiny and adorable, you’re good.

These are super easy to put together, and really pretty. Get your fanciest tea cup, fill it with some piping hot Earl Grey, and have a bit of cake. It’s the perfect fall afternoon pick-me-up!

You’ll need:

For the cake:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoons buttermilk
• 6 tablespoons clementine juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons grated clementine zest

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons orange liqueur
• 1 teaspoon water
• a drop of vanilla
• 1 clementine, segmented
• lemon zest (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly grease and flour 10 ramekins or mini cake pans.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another small bowl, combine the buttermilk, clementine juice, vanilla, and orange liqueur. Set both of these mixtures aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for 3-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the clementine zest. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, starting and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly among the ramekins, smooth the tops, and bake for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool completely.

Make the glaze by combining powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons orange liqueur, 1 teaspoon water, and a drop of vanilla. Glaze the tops of the cakes and top with the clementine segments and lemon zest, if using.

Clementine Cakes

 

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Serves: 10 mini cakes

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoons buttermilk
• 6 tablespoons clementine juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons grated clementine zest

For the topping:

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons orange liqueur
• 1 teaspoon water
• a drop of vanilla
• 1 clementine, segmented
• lemon zest (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly grease and flour 10 ramekins or mini cake pans.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another small bowl, combine the buttermilk, clementine juice, vanilla, and orange liqueur. Set both of these mixtures aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for 3-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the clementine zest. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, starting and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly among the ramekins, smooth the tops, and bake for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
4. Make the glaze by combining powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons orange liqueur, 1 teaspoon water, and a drop of vanilla. Glaze the tops of the cakes and top with the clementine segments and lemon zest, if using.

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