Coconut Iced Clementine Cake

I currently seem to be eating around my own bodyweight in juicy clementines, so thought it would be a good idea to have a go at a new recipe using these little round rascals. I've infused their sweet citrus flavour into a light sponge, then topped with a coconutty butter icing. I think the two marry beautifully and provide a charming alternative to all the stodgy and highly spiced treats on offer at this time of year (not that there's anything wrong with stodgy and highly spiced). You can also play around with your own ingredient ideas if you fancy a change. A lovely lemon version would really hit the spot when the sunny season eventually returns!

Prep time: 20 Mins
Baking time: 45 Mins
5 Clementines
175g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
175g Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
40g Ground Almonds
1.5tsp Baking Powder
150g Plain Flour

For the icing
150g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
300g Icing Sugar
50g Dessicated Coconut

Thinking about it, this is a good one if you're a beginner, as many of the processes are baking fundamentals. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4, grease a 20cm deep loose bottomed baking tin and line the base with baking paper. Zest four of the clementines and set to one side. In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and caster sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time, along with the clementine zest. Fold through the ground almonds, then sift in the flour and baking powder. Add the juice from 2 of the clementines and mix it all together to a smooth and consistent batter. Spoon the batter into your prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for around 45 minutes, until a metal skewer can be cleanly removed when inserted into the middle of the cake.

When you are happy the cake in baked remove it from the oven, leave in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove, peeling off the baking paper and place on a wire rack. Pierce the top with a skewer or toothpick, then brush over the juice from the other two zested clementines (leaving one left). The juice is usually very sweet so I don't bother adding any sugar to it. You don't have to brush over all of the juice, as long as you've brushed it all over the top. Once that task in complete, leave the cake on the wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing cream together the butter and icing sugar, then add the juice from the remaining clementine along with about half of the coconut. Spread all over the top of the cake, then sprinkle with the remaining coconut. And there you have it, all done.