Whole Citrus Cake

2 Sticks Unsalted Butter

250g Sugar

3 Large Eggs

1lb Citrus of Choice, ends trimmed, cut into chunks and seeded

315g All-purpose Flour

1/4t Salt

1/4t Baking Soda

2t Baking Powder 

1 1/2c Confectioners’ Sugar

2T plus 1 teaspoon Citrus Juice

Heat the oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a Bundt pan. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.


Place the citrus chunks in a blender. Turn on medium-high until mostly smooth but with still small pieces of rind. Add 1 1/2 cups of the citrus pulp to the batter, then beat until blended. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder over the wet mixture. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated into the wet. Do not overmix. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for about 55 minutes. A toothpick stuck in the middle should only come out with crumbs. Cool the pan on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely.


Whisk together sifted powdered sugar and citrus juice in a small bowl. Adjust the consistency to taste (if you'd like it thicker, add more powdered sugar; thinner, add more citrus juice). Once the cake is cool, spoon the glaze over the top. Allow time for the glaze to set before slicing.  Store any leftovers airtight at room temperature.

Note: This modified recipe was originally published in Sunset magazine, Genius Recipes, and on Food52.

Citrus season is one of my favorites. Waxed-leafed trees dripping with thick-skinned jabong, sculpted dwarf trees polka dotted with tangerines, mini cheerful calamansi, and towering orange tree branches cascading with an abundance of beautiful fruit.

Locals still remember our Monkeypod Jam days, so we often return home to find a bucket overflowing with lemons from a neighboring backyard tree. Citrus trees are prolific, producing far more fruit than any household needs. This season, we have already created a healthy stash of marmalades, cured lemons, candied peels, and the freezer is filled with juice for later curd projects.

Over the past few seasons, recipes for whole fruit lemon and orange cake have been finding their way to my inbox and social feeds. Today I had a few hours of alone time, so decided to try the method. We have a feral tangerine tree in the far corner of our property, but until this season, the fruit had been too tart for our liking. We're thinking the extra sunlight they now enjoy after the ancient lychee was trimmed has created happier fruit. This year our tangerines are plentiful and perfectly sweet with just enough tartness to make you crave more. I picked a full basket and brought them back to the kitchen for this recipe.

It turned out beautifully. The crumb is not too tight and it is perfectly moist. The citrus flavor is strong and bright with the rind creating a marmalade-like essence. Try this cake for yourself and take the time to enjoy it over a cup of coffee and good conversation.