More Cake: Chocolate Clementine w/ Blood Orange Icing


I feel like I am living in a strange food universe lately.

Everyone keeps talking about "clean eating" (what is that anyway?); eating "Paleo"; "Whole 30"; "Whole Life Challenge"; Gluten-free, gluten-free and gluten-free.

If I read one more person give a hotel or restaurant a bad review on Yelp or Trip-advisor because their meal wasn't gluten free, I am going to SCREAM!

I respect your choice not to eat bread (hopefully, because you have celiac disease and can't digest gluten), but please don't hate my pizza man for not making you a g.f. pie, especially when he is famous for his yeast breads (you know who you are!).

Jimmy Kimmel, the late night talk show host, recently interviewed people on the street and every one of them was gluten free, and every one of them had no idea what GLUTEN was! It was hilarious (click here to see the interview and chuckle).

Am I one of the few people left on the planet that eats pasta, bread and cake?
It seems that way.

I need to change my evil ways.

I eat it in moderation, and I am lucky that I can digest gluten. I don't eat it everyday, only because I don't want to gain weight (which is easy to do now that I am over 40).

I do understand and respect other peoples' dietary restrictions, but please don't write to me asking me to stop posting cakes.

I will never stop posting cakes, ever.
Cakes are celebratory and delicious, and I love them (pie not so much).

What would a birthday be without a cake? (or cupcakes?).

I love quinoa, but how much quinoa can one person eat?

Enough ranting.
If you won't eat the cake, then just look at the pictures (I promise to post a quinoa recipe next week).

On that note, here's your Valentine's Day dessert!

I made you a delicious, simple clementine/chocolate cake with no butter at all, just olive oil.
And instead of powdered sugar, I went all out and used my last blood orange to make pink icing and candied oranges!

Very festive, aren't I?

The original recipe for the cake bakes it in a 9" round pan, which I will use next time, but I felt like like a loaf cake, so that was that.

Juls, who is from Tuscany, was kind enough to translate the recipe for me from Italian, and she even converted the metric measurements for me to US! What a gal! Thank you Juls.

It's hard to believe with just 3 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil that this cake was SO MOIST.
Well, it was!

This was my last blood orange in the fridge, so I am done until next year.

You know I am icing challenged, but I still thought the presentation was decent.

Chocolate Clementine Cake w/ Candied Blood Oranges & Pink Icing: (cake adapted from Jul's Kitchen, icing adapted from Annie Eats)

For the cake:

3 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
120g (3/4 cup - 4,23 oz) dark chocolate (I buy the Trader Joe's 1 lb. bar 72% dark)
50 g (3 1/2 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
juice and zest of 2 organic clementines
100g (1 cup lightly packed - 3,53 oz) almond flour or almond meal
100g (1/2 cup - 3,53 oz) flour
8g (2 1/2 teaspoons) baking powder
a pinch salt

Mix the eggs w/ the sugar in a large bowl.

In a bain marie (or microwave), heat your chocolate and stir with a silicone spatula until smooth.
Add the zest, juice and olive oil to the chocolate and mix together.

Add the chocolate and juice mixture to the eggs and sugar and mix until smooth.

Add in the flours, salt and baking powder to the wet ingredients to make a nice batter.

Pour batter into a 9" cake tin that has been lined with parchment paper. I used a 9" loaf pan, and had very good results (I always line my cake tins with paper so they don't stick).


Bake in a 350F oven for 25 minutes, until the top is crispy, but middle is still moist.


Let cool on a cake rack and remove from the tin. When cake is cooled, dust w/ powdered sugar or fancy pink icing.

For the candied oranges:

1 blood orange, sliced thinly w/ a serrated knife
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Simmer the orange slices w/ the sugar water for 15-20 minutes, carefully turning them once (next time, I would not slice them in halves, they fell apart, I will leave the slices round).

Lay out on a wax paper or parchment lined tray to dry. They stay in the fridge for a long time.
Because careful with the pink syrup, it sticks to everything!


For the pink icing:

1 cup of confectioners sugar (powdered)
3 tbsp blood orange juice (so it will turn pink!)

Mix icing with a fork until it is the consistency you like then spread it over the cake, or drizzle it on.


Lay the candied orange slices on top of the icing.


So moist and delicious!
This cake is a winner.

Let them eat cake is what I say!

Comments

Bebe said…
Three cheers for Stacey!!!!

The whole gluten-free thing has turned into a fad. As you observe, how many really know what gluten is?

We will stick with bread and pasta and cake AND pie (and brownies and cookies and tarts, oh my).

Somewhere Julia Child is turning over in her grave over all this bogus food mythology.

Thanks for a ray of sanity in an increasingly darkening world.
Stacey Snacks said…
Bebe,

I have a friend and a sister in law who have celiac disease. It took them years to be diagnosed.

They truly have an allergy to gluten, these are the people who need a special diet........not these dopey people who have no idea what it actually is.

Since going to a gf free diet, they feel 100% better!

I will stick w/ bread and cake for as long as I can!

:)

Anonymous said…
Have you heard the latest from our ole pal Gwyneth? She touting a very, very special kind of lady cleanse. There's a sucker born every minute. http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/02/03/is-gwyneth-paltrow-wrong-about-everything/
GG said…
Here in California, if you are NOT gluten free, you are a freak!
Bread? Cake? Pizza? What is that?

My sister has celiac disease so I get the gluten free allergy, and I know what gluten is.....however, these nitwits who walk around and say "is it gluten free?" "I'm a paleo", "can you make the meal w/ gf pasta?".

Stop with the fad diets, just say you don't eat carbs cause they make you fat.

What's next? I would like to hear someone say I can't eat it cause I am on Jenny Craig.

Great post, and I would LOVE a slice of that cake please!

GG
gourmet goddess said…
I agree ,the GF fad is out of control , but has spawned a billion dollar industry for all the idiots who claim they cannot eat gluten . I just want to know why anything GF is so goddam expensive.

As a side note , in the Kimmel interview , Mr SuperJew commented that rice has gluten - that is a complete mis truth , rice is completely gluten free.

The only people benefitting from this phase of all the food fads you noted Stacey is the food industry , who is raking it in ..... I agree with you , everything in moderation . and if we just lift our heads up from our devices and get a little bit of exercise , we can stop blaming the food for making us fat . but realise lack of exercise is making us fat !!!

As for Gwenyth ..... oh dear Gwenyth , I always wonder if she pays Mario Batali to be her friend. because he just hangs on her every word ..... I always gave this guy more credit - except when he talks/swoons about Gwenyth .... I hope her new "cleanse" is uplifting ... and to any idiots out there who think that such a cleanse is even logical ... they need to get a LIFE !!!!!

Stacey thank you for the opportunity to rant , and I am making the chocolate cake tomorrow for a dinner party ... I am enjoying these recipes you are posting with olive oil , they really stay moist and taste delicious.

take care
GG
Anonymous said…
gourmet goddess- Thank you for spelling *Gwyneth* wrong, I spell EVERYTHING wrong, and Miss Paltrow's name is annoyingly DESIGNED to misspell! I have my own special theory about how Gwynnie's gotten on Mario Batali's good side, but it's gross, and this is a family style food blog, so I'll stop right there :o). Have a great day & good luck making Ms. Snack's beautiful pink iced cake!
Anonymous said…
Trader Joe's just got in a new shipment of blood oranges! Just picked up a bag and I see this cake baking in my oven in the very near future! Love the combination of chocolate and orange together! Looks so beautiful too! I really enjoy your daily posts....so many great ideas!
Bebe said…
For a relative few (thank God) celiac disease is the real thing and apparently a gf diet helps with its symptoms.

Then there are all the nutcases who think it sounds zingy to talk gf, quest for gf, and drive us and the food bloggers (they invariably show up asking for a gf version of a posted recipe) crazy.

Thanks for the rant and for letting us do the same. We are up to here with the misinformed fools who spoil our cooking and eating experiences.

Go be zealots, but keep quiet about it except with your nearest and dearest.
Stacey Snacks said…
Gourmet Goddess (GG#2):

I remember seeing the Kimmel show that night, and laughing when Super Jew (who I loved btw) didn't even know that rice IS gluten free.

How funny!
Monica in Santa Monica said…
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, think "glue".
It is responsible for the elasticity in wheat products and other products.

I am one of the people who does have celiac disease and it makes me so mad, watching these idiots who just gets on the band wagon with fad diets.

The only good thing is that now, it's a billion $$$$ industry, and I can find gf products everywhere! I don't have to go to health food shops anymore and do mail order!

Even though you don't post a lot of gluten free recipes, I love reading your blog everyday and I have made all of your quinoa recipes, which are fantastic! I love your honest style of writing.....

Thanks for exposing the peeps that are nitwits.
and what is "clean eating" anyway?

Monica in Santa Monica
Jessica said…
That pink icing is gorgeous!
I am definitely making this cake for V day!

So pretty! and I love that you used olive oil.

Stacey Snacks said…
I just got this via Tasting Table....very interesting, and I love Del Posto...........

http://www.tastingtable.com/dine/national/gluten-free-pasta-recipe-by-mark-ladner-of-pasta-flyer?utm_medium=email&utm_source=national&utm_campaign=Del_Pasta_2015_02_06&utm_content=Dining_editorial
gourmet goddess said…
good grief I spelt "Gwyneth" incorrectly .....off with my head ... LOL

we all need a good laugh at some point !!!!

enjoy the weekend everyone

gg
Alicia said…
Flour,flour,flour....
Isn't there a song?
I would die without bread!
I just have to hide a blood orange from my daughter, so I can make this. She'll understand why ,when she tastes this.
Susan..... said…
Not getting on the bandwagon about people with Celiac being the only ones who should eat GF foods, but there is truth in that 25% of Diabetics has gluten resistence like they do insulin resistance, and doctors will recommend them eating GF to see if it helps with their glucose.

I use GF flours for just that reason since I should stay away from wheat flours.
Maybe some people just want you to post some recipes using a GF baking blend so they can enjoy your wonderful desserts.
Have a great weekend.
Anonymous said…
dear Stacey, Thanks so much for this honest post!
it struck a chort, and elicited such great responses.
The cake is great. We have blood oranges to make one of ye EVO cakes tomorrow.
Your fans in LA, land of GF, vegan, etc etc...
Kimt said…
I am going to try this cake...with gluten free flour. Dont laugh. It sounds delicious. I have always loved really good bread, baked goods etc. Recently, I have developed gluten allergy...really. I would never give up this delicious segment of my diet just so I wouldnt gain weight. I know many do but I love good food too much. I am new to this and am experimenting with the GF flours...so I can enjoy things like this beautiful cake.
Keep the recipes coming and I will keep experimenting with them. Love your blog and your great recipes.
Anonymous said…
Dear Stacey,
Amen! Many people do suffer from medical conditions that limit what can be eaten...these fad diets, to me, seem to minimize what they go through. Instead of being thankful for their health, it seems they try to make themselves stand out.
Thank you for your great posts and recipes, always appreciated.
Anna

Stacey Snacks said…
Kimberly and Susan,

Can you please let me know how this cake comes out using gluten free flour?

and thank you for still reading and trying my recipes even though they are not gf.

xo Stacey
Marie said…
Amen.

That cake looks so good I'm making it. My mouth is watering... And I'm not much of a cake eater.

And I just fed my sourdough starter :-)
Foodiewife said…
Amen to that! I was just ranting to some friends that I am sick of food products being labeled "gluten free". Like you said, unless you truly have a gluten intolerance, this is just an over-hyped fad. I'm not about to give up my grains, breads, pastas or desserts. You do not need to apologize for posting cakes, and I hope you continue to do so. Chocolate and orange are a wonderful pairing, and you did a great job. You are a woman after my heart (and palate).
Juls said…
It looks so good with the pink icing, perfect for Valentine's day! thank you for trying out the recipe!
Denise said…
Absolutely delicious! I made the loaf cake for St. Valentine's Day. Thank you.