Mandarin stars in this rich and delicious Mandarin and Almond Cake with Cinnamon Syrup. The syrup turns this cake from cake to dessert. It tastes best when served with cream as a contrast to the sweet and spicy flavours of the syrup.
Susan created the recipe and cooked it for her family. Their verdict – very moist and tasty – a luscious dessert cake.
This recipe is an easy way to use mandarins for cake. Most other cake recipes require the mandarins to be boiled and refreshed 3 times. This recipe is far less time consuming. The mandarins are cooked only once and the cooking water then forms part of the sauce…always a winner for the busy cook!
Mandarin and Almond Cake with Cinnamon Syrup
the ingredients
Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cups water
3 mandarins, skin on, quartered, seeds removed
1 cinnamon stick
Cake
160gr butter, softened
200gr/ 1 cup caster sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
160gr/ 1 ½ cups almond meal
100 gr/ 3/4 cup SR flour
the fun
- Preheat Oven to 180° .
- Grease the Sauté Pan lightly with butter
- Put mandarin pieces, water, sugar and cinnamon stick into 2 litre saucepan on medium heat.
- Stir for 5 minutes to dissolve sugar.
- Bring to boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until mandarin skin is soft.
- Remove mandarin pieces with tongs.
- Process mandarin in a blender until almost smooth.
- Set aside to cool. Reserve syrup in saucepan for later.
- In a bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar to create a smooth, creamy mixture, making sure all the sugar is dissolved. You can do this with electric beaters or whisk.
- Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the creamed mixture gradually to incorporate.
- Add the almond meal, flour and cooled mandarin puree and mix well.
- Pour the cake mixture into the sauté pan and spread evenly.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until the cake mixture feels firm at the center and edges are starting to turn golden brown.
- Meanwhile heat reserved syrup over medium heat. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove cinnamon stick.
- Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes. Place a cooling tray on top and turn it over. The cake will be released without breaking.
- Place cake on cooling tray over another tray. Pour half of the syrup over the cake and allow to soak in.
- Transfer cake to a serving plate and serve warm with cream and extra syrup drizzled over.
