Karen’s Clementine Birthday Cake

Vincent Van Gough, 1853-1890
Fritillaires, couronne imperiale dans un vase de cuivre, 1887
Oil on Canvas, 73.5 x 60.5cm
Musee d’Orsay, Paris

I change my birthday cake every year and this year, I followed the sun and decided to have a subtle cake that wasn’t too sweet but bursting with flavor. My clementine cake does just that. It explodes in your mouth like a popping soap bubble; its ways are gentle and smooth and no matter who tries this cake will look you in the eye and say much more than thank you. At least that was my experience.

Photos by Knoxy

Karen’s Clementine Cake

10 clementines, washed and cut crosswise, thin
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup pure cane sugar
3 cups water
¼ cup cointreau or paula’s texas orange

In a 4 quart pot, dissolve the sugar in the water and cointreau and bring to a boil. Add the clementine slices and the reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours. Remove from the heat and let the clementines cool in the syrup overnight.

For the cake:

2 recipes for my orange olive oil cake
Level the cake layers as necessary

For the Bavarian cream:

2 cups whole milk
6 egg yolks
½ cup + 3 tablespoons castor sugar
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons lukewarm water
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons reserved Clementine syrup
1 cup heavy cream

In a non reactive pan, heat the milk until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Beat the yolks with ½ cup of the castor sugar until frothy and pale. Gradually whisk in the hot milk followed by the gelatin. Return the mixture to your pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thick. The custard should coat the back of your spoon and hold a hard line when you run your finger down the back of the spoon.

Transfer the pan to an ice bath and whisk until the mixture becomes lumpy and thick. Whisk the heavy cream with the remaining 2 tablespoons of castor sugar until soft folds form. Using a spatula, fold the cream and the 2 tablepoons reserved clemetine syrup into the custard mixture. Whisk to smooth.

For the assembly:

Line a 10” springform pan with plastic wrap with a 6 inch overhang all the way around. Try to make this as smooth as possible as folds will be evident in the chilled Bavarian cream. Choose the most uniform slices and line the bottom of the pan and then the sides. Finely chop the remaining slices.

Spoon 2/3 of the cream over the orange slices and smooth with an offset spatula; first the bottom and then the sides. Place one of the cake rounds into the pan and gently press into the cream. Fold the chopped clementines into the remaining Bavarian cream and then cover the first cake layer. Place the second cake round on top and press down gently. Wrap the overhanging plastic wrap up tightly over the bottom of the cake

Place a large plate over the pan and then weigh down with a 5 lb. weight. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove the cake from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you are ready to serve and then invert onto a festive platter and serve with a glass of champagne and a sprig of mint for garnish.

Serves 8