The little clementine oranges in their little cardboard boxes are like little parcels of sweet goodness during the cold winter. I am sure that in the month of December we devoured at least 4 boxes of clementines. But even though they are delicious and the perfect packaged snack there always seems to be a few left at the bottom of the bowl, a little shrivelled and ignored. Before you toss these in the compost- read this recipe for Clementine Loaf. Zest and juice those less than perfectly plump clementines and you have the star ingredients to bake up a refreshing loaf. Now clementines don’t have as strong a flavour as say a lemon or navel orange, but they do make a nice change. To enhance the clementine flavour you can make a glaze for the cooled cake from a little more clementine juice.
Now in case you were one of those lucky bakers who received a fancy loaf or bundt pan as a Christmas gift, this Clementine loaf is a great recipe to test drive that new pan. The decorative baking pans can take a plain loaf like this and transform it in to a work of art with just a little dusting of icing sugar. Which ever type of baking dish you use for this loaf it is important to butter and flour it well so that the cake turns out cleanly. The loaf is then coated in a sweet syrup which makes a lovely crust on the outside and seals in the moisture as well. So don’t waste a bit of those bright little clementines while they last – bake up a loaf today and you will have a great snack to put in lunches tomorrow.
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1⅓ cups sugar, divided
- 3 extra-large eggs
- zest from 4 clementines-grated
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup juice from 4 clementines
- For the optional glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- juice from 1 clementine
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8½ by 4¼ by 2½-inch loaf pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized bowl.
- In another large bowl, add 1 cup sugar and the clementine zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers. Then whisk in the sour cream, the eggs,and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- During the last 5 minutes of baking, cook the juice of one clementine and remaining ⅓ cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
- When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn out onto a baking rack over a sheet of waxed paper.Then when the cake is still warm, brush the syrup over the cake slowly letting it soak in between applications. Cool.
- For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and juice and pour over the cake.
- Let set about 30 minutes before slicing