Clementine & Almond Cake – Today I am sharing a delightful recipe for Meg Rivers Clementine & Almond Cake, which would be perfect for Mothering Sunday or Easter, as well as an opportunity to win a Meg Rivers 6 month subscription to the Cake Club, a really delectable prize that is worth £120!
Giveaway:
Win a Six Month Meg Rivers Cake Club Subscription
I love cake, and even though I am more of a savoury person, nothing quite beats a beautifully baked cake, whether it be home-baked or bought from a reputable, artisan bakery; and, one of my favourite bakeries is Meg Rivers, which is situated in The Cotswolds in England. Meg Rivers started her business in 1986 when she began baking cakes in her home kitchen. It was in the pre-internet days when selling food mail-order was something of a rarity, however, the business was so successful, that in 1991, Meg won Businesswoman of the Year. Sadly, Meg Rivers passed away, but the bakery is still in good hands, as one of Meg’s family friends, Julian Day, took over the bakery along with his daughters, thus ensuring that beautiful, hand-baked and artisan cakes and bakes are still the cornerstone of the company. Julian has subsequently published a a book, “Meg Rivers Home Baking”, a copy of which I have and refer to on numerous occasions, and which really highlights the passion and commitment that he and his family have to bake cakes of high quality with premium ingredients.
As well as being able to buy artisan cakes, you can also buy biscuits and tray-bakes by mail order from Meg Rivers too, including gift collections, some of which come in tins. But, as we lead up to Mother’s Day (Mothering Sunday) and Easter this year, it’s the cakes, and more specifically the Monthly Subscription Cake Club I’d like to feature today, along with a fabulous recipe from Meg Rivers, for Clementine & Almond Cake, which you can all make at home, as well as the opportunity to enter into a very special giveaway, where all Lavender and Lovage readers have the chance to win a SIX MONTH subscription to Meg Rivers Cake Club, worth £120! I’d also like to share some ideas how to serve this wonderfully moist, citrus cake, which has gone down a storm in our house. Today’s recipe for Clementine & Almond Cake is the cake that will be sent out to all Cake Club members this Easter, and I have some great ideas how to dress the cake up for Easter, as well as Mother’s Day too.
To serve Clementine & Almond Cake, here are a few ideas that we enjoy here at Chez Lavender and Lovage:
Cut the cake into slices, and heat it up in a microwave on a medium heat for about 1 minute, it should be warm and not hot, then serve with cream or creme fraiche, in the style of a “pudding cake”.
Decorate the cake with buttercream icing or an extra drizzle of fruit icing, and cut it in half to add more if you want a rich cake for a special occasion.
Add some edible flowers to the cake, or homemade crystallised violets for a pretty floral look for Mother’s Day, Easter or a summer birthday cake.
For Easter, add some mini chocolate Easter eggs and wee chicks to the top of the cake, similar to this chocolate cake I made last year…..
Whatever the occasion, although nothing extra is needed for any of Meg Rivers cakes, you can adapt the decoration and add some extras, such as buttercream icing, according to how you want to serve the cake/s. Here’s more information about the Cake Club……..
- A freshly baked Meg Rivers cakes will be delivered by post to your door every month of the year, whether it be for you and your family, or for a loved one or a friend, it makes for a very special gift.
- It’s simple, each month you will receive a different cake, many of the cakes are exclusive to the Cake Club, and you get to play taster. Which will be your favourite, a traditional Simnel Cake at Easter, Elderflower & Gooseberry Cake in July, or maybe a sticky Ginger & Molasses Cake in November. So, that’s a cake a month, all according to the season…..this month’s cake of the month for March 2018, is, not surprises here, the Clementine & Almond Cake!
NB: Cake Club can commence at any time of year but must run for consecutive months. Price includes UK mainland post and packing.
The Meg Rivers Clementine & Almond Cake recipe is shared below, for those who would like to make it, as well as order one for your mum this Mother’s Day. Then, just below the recipe, there is the giveaway, which is easy to enter, all of the entry requirements are listed clearly above the Rafflecopter entry box…..Good Luck to all of you who enter the contest, and don’t forget the share the link with your friends and family for a chance to share six months worth of cakes! Karen
Disclaimer: Paid collaborative post with Meg Rivers Artisan Bakery
Mother’s Day Clementine & Almond Cake Recipe:
Ingredients:
200g butter (spreadable texture)
250g sugar
35g clementine zest (from about 5 clementines)
15g lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
4 free range eggs (xl size)
250g ground almonds
100g plain flour
For the syrup:
100ml clementine juice
75g sugar
Method:
1. Grease and line a 7 inch diameter round cake tin with parchment paper, ensuring the paper stands about 1 inch above the top of the tin – this is to hold syrup as it soaks in to the cake later in the process. Ensure the butter is a soft, spreadable texture and the eggs should be at room temperature.
2. Wash the fruit, then remove zest from the clementines and lemons. Squeeze the juice from the clementines and keep aside to make the syrup later.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add both of the zests to the butter and sugar and blend together. Slowly add the egg, beating it in until well incorporated into the mixture. Add the ground almonds and flour and stir well. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and bake in a pre-heated oven for about 60 – 75 minutes at 170°centigrade (non convection oven) or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. The cake should have slightly shrunken from the sides and be springy to the touch. When ready, remove from the oven, leave it in the tin and place on a wire rack.
4. To make the syrup, warm the sugar and clementine juice in a small pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. While the cake is still warm from the oven, pierce the cake to about three quarters of its depth using a skewer (a piece of spaghetti works well) to make lots of holes about 1 inch apart all over the surface of the cake. Drizzle over the syrup – you may have to do this in stages to allow all the syrup to soak in. Let the cake cool completely in the tin, then turn it out on to a serving plate. Serve with segments of clementine and crème fraiche.
Giveaway:
Win a 6 Month Subscription to the Meg Rivers Cake Club (worth £120)
To enter this Meg Rivers Six Month Cake Subscription Giveaway, all you have to do is the following:
1. Complete the Rafflecopter widget below to verify your entries – THREE mandatory questions will appear, which you need to answer by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post to say that you have signed up to the Meg Rivers email list (found on the website at the bottom of every page on the Meg Rivers website), following me on Twitter and liking the Meg Rivers Facebook page OR following their Twitter account, before going back to the Rafflecopter form and hitting “Enter”. (After this, you can complete the bonus entries as explained on the form to increase your odds of winning – you can also return daily to tweet this for more bonus entries)
2. Entries are by blog comment, Twitter, Facebook etc
3. Closing Date: 26th March 2018
(For more information on how to enter blog giveaways using Rafflecopter please see this short video)
You can win more bonus entries by tweeting on a daily basis.
It’s EASY! Rafflecopter will tweet, like and follow on your behalf. For information on finding the URL of your tweet please see this
GOOD LUCK!
Karen
Sarah | Boo Roo and Tigger Too says
I love the cherry cake the best
Tracey Peach says
I’ve subscribed & my favourite cake is the Rich fruit cake it looks soooo good!
Andrea Upton says
I am already subscribed I like the simnel cake would be great for Easter
Leila Benhamida says
I subscribed. I love the cherry cake. Looks so delicious.
Francesca Lobban says
I subscribed and wow, what a lovely cake, clementines make for such a beautiful fresh flavour.
Ron says
That Clementine & Almond Cake looks so tasty. Would you have a suggestion for replacing the ground almonds? Nut allergy in the house. Not a baker, but would love to give this one a “nut free” go. How about coconut flour???
natalie Crossan says
I have happily subscribed. My favourite would have to be the Clementine & almond cake – looks amazing x
Tracey says
All the cakes look delicious!! The clementine & almond cake sounds and looks delicious…I love anything almondy!
Kim Neville says
Subscribed and like the chocolate cake
Lydia A says
I’ve subscribed. The Cherry Cake looks really delicious!
Solange says
I’ve subscribed and like the chocolate cake.
Tracy Nixon says
I subscribed and I love the chocolate cake!
claire thorpe says
Clementine and Almond cake sounds lovely! Have subscribed
Hayley F says
I’m already subscribed and love the chocolate cake, yummy x
Anna @ Once Upon A Food Blog says
The Clementine and Almond Cake looks absolutely delicious – my kind of cake.
cheryl hadfield says
Subscribed. The cherry cake looks devine
Frances Sunshine Hopkins says
I’ve subscribed, love the look of the cherry cake
Liam Bishop says
All signed up. That rich fruit cake looks amazing!
Lisa Rowsell says
I’ve subscribed, and love the Clementine & Almond cake the best.
Christine Lockley says
Subscribed and love the “Almond & Clementine Cake “
Tee Simpson says
Have subscribed. Chocolate cake for me
Andrew Petrie says
I like the Ginger cake most .
lorraine kirk says
Subscribed. I like the clementine and almond cake the most.
MANDY DOHERTY says
Subscribed and the Chocolate cake is my favourite
Amanda J Davis says
All signed up and the ginger cake looks gorgeous
Jade Hewlett says
I have subscribed and the chocolate cake looks delicious!
Sharon Martin says
subscribed and love the ginger cake most