Tiramisu chocolate clementine cake

The Thanksgiving Menu

Welcome back to The Thanksgiving Menu. With so many recipes to share, I hope you won’t mind me easing them out gradually.

As you may have noticed, this time of year, sweet pie recipes are everywhere, so I felt compelled to offer something a little different - my Mont Blanc-esque tiramisu cake. This is the cake for those who aren’t fond of overly sweet desserts. It layers rich dark chocolate with the bright, aromatic tang of ripe clementines, offering depth without the cloying sweetness. With nearly a 1:1 ratio of cake to cream, it’s a true showstopper and makes a striking centerpiece on any dessert cart or table.

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I’ll be honest: when I first dreamed up this dessert, I wasn’t sure what to call it. It’s got coffee, cocoa, melted 70% chocolate, a rich vanilla mascarpone cream and two whole boiled clementines (stick with me). This combination creates just the right balance of sweetness. I eventually settled on Tiramisu Chocolate Clementine Cake — perhaps the title is a bit long-winded, but trust me, the process and the result aren’t.

A mountain of mascarpone cream and cake

The inspiration came from Nigella Lawson’s recipe for clementine cake where she includes the genius idea of boiling the clementines. Not only does it fill your kitchen with a festive aroma, but it also imparts a wonderful depth of flavor to the cake. The citrusy notes blend seamlessly with the chocolate and coffee, creating a cake that’s rich yet comforting, without veering into sickly sweet territory. It's the perfect balance of indulgence and restraint, and pairs beautifully with a strong espresso after a holiday meal.

The best part? This cake actually gets better after a day or so, making it an ideal make-ahead option for Thanksgiving.

Be sure to use the best ingredients—organic cocoa, a 70% dark chocolate (I'd recommend Valrhona) and perfectly ripe, sweet clementines are key.

A note on cream to cake ratio 

A 1:1 ratio of cake to cream here just feels right—whimsical, like something out of a childhood dream. Whilst assembling the confection I was tempted to dip my finger straight into the peak of cream. Of course, as the adult in the room, there’s nothing stopping you, though a finger mark might raise a few eyebrows with your guests. 

A note on the method

Nigella suggests blitzing everything in the food processor until you’ve got a fairly smooth cake batter. I couldn’t be bothered with the washing up, so I did it by hand instead — do whatever works for you.