Serves a Crowd
Clementine Pound Cake
Popular on Food52
97 Reviews
nita
May 16, 2020
This question was asked before, but I didn't see an answer - There is no leavening agent mentioned. Is this correct?
Kaja1105
January 1, 2021
Yes, there is a good discussion of this in some of the older comments, but since there is no leavening agent, it is important to thoroughly cream the butter and sugar. I use a hand mixer (but a stand mixer is great too) and cream the butter and sugar for at least three minutes, then I'll mix at medium speed for at least a full minute after adding each egg. You want a light-colored, fluffy mixture. The resulting cake is fabulous!
Hyun
March 21, 2020
I decreased the white sugar by 1/4 cup and it is still very sweet and delicious. I put in less cardamom than the recipe asks (about half), but the flavor is still there. I wanted to make sure the cardamom wouldn't overpower the cake. This is an excellent pound cake recipe and I will make it again!
Miss_Karen
August 12, 2019
I have to agree with the high altitude issues. I'm at 6035.... I have found that reducing the sugar helps a LOT. (2 TBSP. per cup.) I also have to increase the flour about 2 TBSP. Mixing the zest of the citrus with the sugar is a good hack as well. I will have to keep the creamed butter/sugar in mind for my other baking endeavors....Thanks!
Jordyn_99
July 29, 2019
I have used this recipe twice as a base for different flavors now, first using lavender and nectarines and second using lemon and blueberry. Love it, hope to make many more cakes with this.
Martha C.
January 28, 2019
Followed the recipe exactly as written. I'm very disappointed at the end result. Very dense and heavy, and little to no clementine taste.
Loripops
April 10, 2018
Can i make this in a Nordic Ware specialty oaf pan?https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Heritage-Loaf-Pan/dp/B06XDH9C2R/ref=sr_1_21?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1523370408&sr=1-21&keywords=nordic+ware
Mary M.
March 21, 2018
How many cups of batter does this recipe make? I am looking to make a stand-up lamb cake... the mold requires a 6-cup batter recipe. Thank you
Donna H.
June 17, 2016
Way too much sugar. Way way too much. It was cloying. I know that pound cake by it's nature is very rich, due to the amount of butter and sugar involved, but not good at all, I'm sorry.
Idalu
October 30, 2015
I have made this cake a few times akready and it is delicious and light. I reduced sugar to below 1 cup and it is just to my taste. Have also tried with lemon but that didn't work for me, could be that milk and lemon don't agree with each other.
Mikhayla
September 27, 2015
Made this today for my family and what a hit!! I added some Blood Orange infused Olive Oil to the mix and oh boy delicious. Served it with some cream and strawberries. Thanks @savvyjulie! Yum :-)
liz
December 14, 2014
I doubled this and put it in a Bundt pan. Was that a mistake? It smells good...
julita84
December 9, 2014
Made this yesterday night, had some friends over, and they all just loved it! It disapearded within 30 minutes. Served it with mint tea...will definitely be doing it again soon, as it is clementine season!
kxr173
June 25, 2014
Made this recipe tonight to serve sliced w\summer berries & whipped cream. It's light & moist, looks beautiful, smells great & overall is just wonderful! I didn't have oranges on hand but luckily I had orange olive oil & King Arthur Flour's 'fior di Sicilia' extract (used 1/2 tsp.- try this stuff if you haven't already in your baking!) Those substitutions worked perfectly. The citrus flavor came through & thankfully, the lack of extra liquid from the oranges didn't affect the texture or taste of the cake. The cardamom was that thing which made them go "hmmm.... yum!" Thanks for a most delightful pound cake recipe @savvyjulie!
SKaito
January 28, 2014
Made this today in my new convection oven and it is delicious! Love the cardamon and orange zest/juice flavors. While baking, the wonderful aroma filled the house. Dairy congests my sinuses so I used coconut-almond milk, which was fine. Used regular orange [we eat a lot so have it on hand]. And used vanilla extract made by a friend. Covered the top at 1hr. since it was golden brown [rack was 2nd from bottom]. This recipe is a keeper. One question about why the to top of the cake flakes so, it's kind of crunchy flakey. Why flakey top? Otherwise, love this recipe.
SavvyJulie
February 3, 2014
The crunchy/flaky top is largely due to the brown sugar and olive oil in the recipe. Glad you enjoyed!
lolaphong
December 10, 2013
Trying this cake and noticed there is no leavening agent???
Is this correct?
Is this correct?
msigur
November 27, 2013
I'd love to send this as part of a Christmas gift. Any idea how long this cake will retain its freshness?
seaandcake
July 7, 2013
This was incredibly easy to make! I used Valencia oranges instead of clementines because it's all I could find. I also went easy on the cardamom and added more vanilla. It smells like a 50/50 bar!
Simone H.
July 6, 2013
Thanks a lot cookbookchick, will try this recipe, I'm sure my family loves it.
Simone H.
July 6, 2013
I'm really love this page but need some help. How much are 1 1/2
sticks butter in weight (g or kg or pound :-)
) please. Thanks.
sticks butter in weight (g or kg or pound :-)
) please. Thanks.
Renata L.
March 19, 2013
HELP! I made this cake and loved the flavor but not the look. I ve made it twice, followed directions exactly, even took Antonia James advice for the extra long creaming method (or "shampooed cat" consistency), but it always goes up very fast and the deflates to a hole in the center. Is ti because Im cooking at an altitude of 7 thousand ft over sea level? Is the temperature of my oven to high? Does anyone now what Im doing wrong and how can I correct this problem? The taste is amazing anyway but I also want it to look nice...
TheWimpyVegetarian
March 19, 2013
Hi renataliralarios! I bake a LOT at around 7 thousand feet above sea level, and it definitely sounds to me like that's the issue. If you bake something exactly the way it's outlined for sea level, it typically will overrise and collapse under it's own weight. Which is exactly what happened to you. When I'm using chemical leaveners like baking soda or baking powder, I typically cut it in half. It looks to me like the rise in this cake is coming from the air being whipped into the butter, and the eggs (the whites, actually). For you, the extra long creaming method getting to the shampooed cat consistency is what is likely the problem. I would try this again and not cream it extra long. Just get it smooth - not fluffy. There are others here who are bigger baking experts than I, but I do have a lot of experience with high altitude baking. Also, was it dry? That can happen at high altitude too.
TheWimpyVegetarian
March 19, 2013
In fact, you've motivated me to make it tomorrow. I've had Julie's cake on my list of things to make for too long. I'm at about 6800 feet, and will let you know how it goes for me, and we can compare notes :-)
TheWimpyVegetarian
March 20, 2013
Hi Renata Lira, I made it, and it was amazing. It rose and held. So I'm guessing too much creaming at our high altitude was the issue. I just mixed until the it was smooth, and then added the eggs one at a time, etc. And it's perfect. Such an incredibly delicious cake. Great job Julie!!!
Renata L.
March 21, 2013
Thanks for the advice TheWimpyVegetarian! Im trying it again today! Just one last question: ¿Did you mix by hand, with a mixer, or a combination of both?
TheWimpyVegetarian
March 21, 2013
I mixed with my Kitchen Aide standing mixer using the paddle attachment. Once it was completely smooth, I beat it on high for about 30 seconds and stopped. Then added the eggs one by one according to the directions. I also used extra large eggs, as I always do when baking at high altitude, to compensate for the drier air here. The other change I made was to cut the flour back by 2 tablespoons for the same reason. It makes for a nice moist cake. #dessertforbreakfast I'd love to hear here how it goes for you.
Blissful B.
January 16, 2012
I made this cake over the weekend. Delicious! I followed AntoniaJames advice for traditional poundcake's extra-long creaming method. I also reduced the cardamom by 1/2. The result was a tall, moist cake with a beautiful crumb and a perfect balance of flavors. Thank you so much! Like tinabeans, my cake was done in an hour, so I recommend everyone check the cake early.
tinabeans
December 27, 2011
excellent flavors. i skipped the cardamom because we didn't have any, but it still tasted great. very nutty and citrusy. also, i baked this for only 1:05 and it got really hard and crunchy around the edges, which is something i rather like but i realize isn't standard for poundcake :D
thanks for the lovely cake.
thanks for the lovely cake.
TheWimpyVegetarian
June 3, 2011
Made this yesterday for a dinner party last night - and just love love loved it. Easy and perfect flavors. Thanks so much for a great recipe!!
TheWimpyVegetarian
June 3, 2011
Oh, I meant to add that I made a strawberry conserve to go with it and it was a wonderful combination.
Rivka
June 18, 2011
Cake's in the own now. I havent licked this much batter in years - divine! Planning to serve with fresh strawberry compote. Very excited.
Golab
May 26, 2011
Made this last weekend! It literally disappeared off the plate in minutes. I took your advice and spent a good deal of time on the creaming process and it came out beautifully. Thanks so much SavvyJulie! Will be making this again & again ...
Robin D.
May 24, 2011
This bread is delicious. It was hard to wait for it to completely cool, but well worth the wait!!
thebreukelenlife
March 10, 2011
omg - this cake disappeared in like 2 seconds in the office this morning. Delicious!
thebreukelenlife
March 9, 2011
Made this cake this morning and added in a blood orange. The smell was a great way to wake up. Looking forward to having that first slice tonight!
jnewberry
February 27, 2011
Awk! I just put the cake in the oven and realized I forgot the olive oil. Wondering how serious a mistake this will turn out to be...
lillianrossc
February 23, 2011
Pound cake is in the oven, and my apartment couldn't smell better. It's going to be a good night.
AntoniaJames
February 22, 2011
Wondering if anyone else has made this, and then eaten it after three days. I made it on Friday for a dinner party on Saturday. (Glazed it with a light blueberry syrup from raw pack blueberries I'd put up last summer, which I reduced then brightened with some Meyer lemon zest). I put aside two slices for our dessert last night. The cardamom was overwhelming in those last two pieces. You could not taste the clementines, and you could not taste the cake. All you could taste was the cardamom. I understand that the author of this recipe used ground cardamom (i.e., already-ground when purchased), and I used cardamom seeds that I had removed from pods, then crushed fairly fine using my mortar and pestle (but didn't grind them in an electric mill). Could that be the difference? Is there something about cardamom that makes it intensify over time? I'll post this to foodpickle as well. I'm interested in knowing whether the food52 testers had the same issue. I suppose it could also be the type of cardamom I bought (at an Indian grocer, which looked exactly like all of the other green cardamom pods I've ever bought). Also, I only used 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom, measuring after I crushed it, because I kow from other uses that a little goes a long way. Help!! ;o)
ChefJune
February 22, 2011
I have not made this cake yet, but I do use quite a bit of cardamom in baking. Since I always grind mine from fresh, I reduce the amount I add to baked goods by about one-half. The freshly ground is much more potent than the stuff that comes already ground. I can only imagine that the freshly crushed would be also.
Blissful B.
February 22, 2011
This same thing happened to me when I made aargesi's cardamom cranberry coffee cake. The flavors were well-balanced on the first two days, but by day 4, the cardamom was very strong. I think this is a spice that intensifies over time.
alamesa
February 22, 2011
I made this on Sunday, but added more clementine juice for added zing. Unfortunately, I had to used sweetened ground vanilla as it's all I could find locally here in Spain but the vanilla flavour still came through nicely. I love vanilla so I used 2 teaspoons. I bought what little was left into the office and everybody enjoyed it.
skooj
February 20, 2011
Thanks, Julie!. I will beat more between eggs to incorporate more air. The cake is still wonderful, albeit very low to the ground!
Michelle M.
February 20, 2011
I've tried and tried to make poundcake with no luck. However!!!! This is the perfect recipe because it turned out beautifully! I only had whole wheat flour and it has this beautiful color to it. I also had a smaller size pan so I had to cook it a bit longer but overall it is EXCELLENT!!! Thanks for the recipe and congrats on the W I N!!
skooj
February 19, 2011
I just made the cake and it is delicious. However, it is only a couple of inches high. I notice all my other poundcakes call for baking powder, but this one did not. Not an omission, is it? Did I do something wrong since the cake is so "low". The picture of your cake looks much higher. I did use the right size pan. Thanks!
SavvyJulie
February 20, 2011
No, there is no baking powder or baking soda in the cake. Did you cream the butter, oil and sugar together before adding the rest of the ingredients?
AntoniaJames
February 22, 2011
The key to making any pound cake turn out, regardless of whether it has a chemical leavener, is to beat the butter and sugar for a good long time, until they are practically white and almost look like frosting, at the outset. Then add the eggs one at a time, and beat very, very well between each egg addition. (I almost never use an electric mixer when making cakes and cookies. I do for pound cakes for this reason.) A well-made pound cake takes a long time to prepare, before putting it in the oven. Olive oil also makes baked goods much more dense. ;o)
ChefJune
February 22, 2011
@AntoniaJames: I call the consistency needed for the creamed butter and sugar "fluffy as a shampooed cat!"
AntoniaJames
February 22, 2011
Awww shucks, you guys, you're way too nice. ChefJune, that's hilarious! (Not sure I've ever met a cat who'd allow you to shampoo it, but I love the image!!) ;o)
Tanvi
August 14, 2013
I am going to try this cake tonight after work. I dont have a standing mixer yet but going to get one soon. However i will borrow a hand held twin propeller mixer for this recipe since have seen again and again the stress on the creaming process. I was looking for this exact answer to see why this reciipe doesnt call for leavening agents! I am excited about this and getting a standing mixer soon :)
TXDjinn
February 19, 2011
This sounds great and I'm looking forward to trying it - when you say a stick and half of butter, how many tablespoons is that? I'm also assuming you mean sweet butter
ChefJune
February 17, 2011
I LOVE pound cke. Will be making this one while Clementines are still in the market.
Congrats on the win.
Congrats on the win.
AEC
February 17, 2011
Sounds terrific! I have some wonderful Cara Cara oranges I want to try here. Can't wait!
marytarry
February 17, 2011
Congrats! on your win! I've made this twice so far to rave reviews. Absolutely delicious, so moist and such a great aroma. Thanks again for sharing your recipe
ShoeboxKitchen
February 16, 2011
We just made this but substituted lemons and grated nutmeg for the clementines and cardamom. It turned out great - thanks so much for the recipe, and CONGRATS!
singing_baker
February 16, 2011
Just made this and it is delicious! So much for losing those winter pounds this week haha. Hope you win!
hardlikearmour
February 16, 2011
Congrats! This recipe definitely deserves a place in the book. Cheers!
Greenstuff
February 15, 2011
Last summer, we were in Sweden and a friend gave us a wonderful cardamom cake that I've been trying to duplicate. Hers did not have the citrus, but your description, "It is that rich," makes me think that your recipe might be a good replacement for what I've been looking for. But still, do you mind saying--what do you think is the role of the citrus in your recipe? Did you always have it there? Do you think it's what makes the cake, or are there other versions you like as well?
SavvyJulie
February 16, 2011
I developed this cake recipe specifically with the clementine flavors in mind. However, I think you could easily replace it with some vanilla and additional cardamom if you want to focus purely on the spice. Let me know if you try it!
Greenstuff
February 16, 2011
Wow! I had just printed out your recipe to start to experiment with when I saw that congratulations are in order! A great win.
Mr_Vittles
February 14, 2011
I am always looking for uses for Clementines and this sounds like a perfect way to use them.
midnitechef
February 14, 2011
Congrats on being chosen as a finalist :) I'll be checking out the blog!
marytarry
February 12, 2011
This sounds so good! that I'm making it right now! Congrats on being a finalist, this turned into such a big category contest!
SavvyJulie
February 11, 2011
Thank you so much for your congratulations. It is such an honor to be chosen as a finalist!
Sagegreen
February 10, 2011
Congrats on being a finalist. Your recipe sounds delicious. I missed it before.
Tiger R.
February 10, 2011
This looks like a wonderful recipe! Could you make it with Meyer Lemons, do you think? Instead of clementines?
hardlikearmour
February 10, 2011
Congrats! This cake sounds really, really good. I would probably need to leave the house to not give into temptation while waiting for it to cool!
SavvyJulie
February 13, 2011
I took the dog out for a walk to keep from cutting into the cake too soon :)
hardlikearmour
February 13, 2011
Good idea - work off some of the calories you'll be enjoying later & not ruin the beautiful cake!
Blissful B.
February 10, 2011
Congratulations on your nomination! As a side note, I just visited your blog, and as a quinoa lover myself, I was excited to see so many grain recipes. I'll be trying many of them, as well as this delicious-looking cake.
Table9
February 10, 2011
I never saw this one! So excited about it...truly love pound cake! Cannot wait to try it. The crust looks divine.
drbabs
February 10, 2011
How did I miss this? I LOVE everything about it! Congratulations on being a finalist!
gingerroot
February 10, 2011
Congrats on being a finalist! This sounds lovely and I bet it smells wonderful.
See what other Food52ers are saying.