Portions: 6 servings Calories: 404kcal |
For me, mandarin oranges are part of our family's holiday season traditional foods, and this mandarin orange cake recipe takes advantage of a fruit full of the comforting aromas of the coziest time of the year. Treat yourself to an amazing dessert!
Why I ā¤ļø it ā¢ Recipe ā¢ Ingredients ā¢ Preparation
Mini mandarin orange cake with spiced syrup.
Why I ā¤ļø it
This mandarin cake were inspired by a recipe from my mother-in-law, one of my biggest influences when it comes to everything food. Every time we visit her she makes an orange cake, filled with a light, fresh citrus taste. It is one of my favorite, so I wondered if mandarin oranges might yield a better result. They did. The mixture between vanilla and the citric aroma of mandarin oranges really did the trick.
The result is a great little cake, one of my two favorite mandarin orange recipes. It's easy to make, no frosting or glaze necessary, and it takes much less time than most cakes to prepare. I prefer to make it into tiny bundt cakes, but you can also bake it into one round cake. You will love it either way.
Mandarin orange cake recipe
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Utensils and tools
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 stick of salted butter [113 grams, 4 ounces] at room temperature, plus extra to grease the pan
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour [120 grams, 4.2 ounces], plus extra to dust pan
- Ā½ teaspoon of baking soda
- Ā½ cup of sugar (white, granulated) [200 grams, 7.1 onces]
- 2 egg (medium), at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons of mandarin juice
- Ā¼ teaspoon of mandarin zest
For the syrup
- The rind of a quarter of a mandarin orange
- 1 cup of mandarin juice
- Ā¼ cup of powdered sugar
- Seeds of Ā½ vanilla pod, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Preparation
Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.
How to make mandarin orange cake
Step 1: Preheat
Preheat oven to 350 ĀŗF [175 ĀŗC].
Grease the molds with butter (or cooking spray) and dust with flour the cake pan or mini-bundt tray. If you're using silicone molds, do not dust them with flour.
Step 2: Mix
Sift flour and baking soda together. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar over medium speed using the hand mixer or stand mixer and paddle attachment until it turns a lighter color (about 1 minute). Scrape the sides with a spatula midway to incorporate the unmixed parts that may stuck to the sides.
Step 3: Make the batter
Add eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds between each egg. Add the mandarine juice beating until the cake batter has been mixed in thoroughly.
Increase the speed to maximum and add the flour in four portions, waiting until each quarter has been thoroughly incorporated before adding more.
Step 4: Prepare the pan
Add the zest. and fold it in with a spatula.
Pour into the prepared pan(s).
Step 5: Bake
Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack to room temperature before removing it from the pan.
How to make mandarin orange syrup and candied zest
Step 1: Make the syrup
To make the syrup and candied peels, wash the mandarine rind. Scrape off the white layer from the inside. Chop into very thin slivers.
Mix 3 cups of water, juice, sugar, vanilla, and boil over very low heat until the liquid has reduced to half a cup (40-60 minutes).
How to serve mandarin orange cake
Step 1: Serving
When it's time to serve, drizzle the cakes with the syrup and serve garnished with the candied peels.
Variations
The main attraction in this cake is the mandarin syrup and candied rind in it. If you are very short on time, you can make the cake from yellow cake mix from a box, and just make the mandarin syrup to add when it's time to serve. It's not the exact same, but it will work to dress up a box mix.
Top tips
When cakes fail to rise, 9/10 times it's because the leavening agent is not fresh or past its best-by date. Make sure the baking soda is still good, you can test it by pouring a few drops of vinegar on a teaspoon of baking soda and see if it makes bubbles.
In case you've never squeezed a mandarine before (I hadn't), just do it like a regular orange and remember to sieve the juice before using it.
I used a silicone 6-hole mini-bundt pan that requires no greasing.
Serving suggestions
This is perfect to go with afternoon coffee and tea, especially the mini-bundt cakes.
Nutritional information
Calories: 404kcal - Carbohydrates: 59g - Protein: 5gFat: 17g - Saturated Fat: 4g - Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g - Monounsaturated Fat: 8g - Trans Fat: 0.01g - Cholesterol: 55mg - Sodium: 301mg - Potassium: 372mg - Fiber: 1g - Sugar: 40g - Vitamin A: 947IU - Vitamin C: 72mg - Calcium: 46mg - Iron: 1mg
FAQs
What can I do with a lot of mandarin oranges?
If you have a lot of mandarin oranges, you can make zest with the rind (and freeze in a freezer bag, and make juice with the pulp.
How can I use mandarins?
You can make mandarin cakes, mandarin liqueur, or mandarin juice with mandarins. Or you can peel them and eat them, they like nature's dessert in a convenient package.
What is the best way to store mandarin oranges?
To store mandarin oranges, refrigerate them it in an open basket in the fridge. I have found that putting them in a bag makes them go moldy sometimes.
Can you freeze whole mandarin oranges?
You can freeze them, but the resulting texture won't be appetizing once thawed. It's better to turn it into juice and freeze the juice, or ā better yet ā consume fresh.
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How to make mandarin orange cake from scratch
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 stick of salted butter [113 grams, 4 ounces] at room temperature, plus extra to grease the pan
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour [120 grams,Ā 4.2Ā ounces], plus extra to dust pan
- Ā½ teaspoon of baking soda
- Ā½ cup of sugar (white, granulated) (white, granulated) [200 grams, 7.1 onces]
- 2 eggs (medium), at room temperature
- 2 tablespoon of mandarin juice
- Ā¼ teaspoon of mandarin zest
For the syrup
- Peel of a quarter of a mandarin orange
- 1 cup of mandarin juice
- Ā¼ cup of powdered sugar
- Seeds of Ā½ vanilla pod , or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions
How to make mandarin orange cake
Step 1: Preheat
- Preheat oven to 350 ĀŗF [175 ĀŗC].Grease the molds withĀ butterĀ (or cooking spray) and dust withĀ flourĀ the cake pan or mini-bundt tray. If you're using silicone molds, do not dust them with flour.
Step 2: Mix
- Sift flour and baking soda together. Set aside.In a mixing bowl beat theĀ butterĀ andĀ sugarĀ over medium speedĀ using the hand mixer or stand mixer and paddle attachmentĀ until it turns a lighter color (about 1 minute). Scrape the sides with a spatula midway to incorporate the unmixed parts that may stuck to the sides.
Step 3: Make the batter
- AddĀ eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds between each egg. Add theĀ mandarine juiceĀ beating until the cake batter has been mixed in thoroughly.Increase the speed to maximum and add the flour in four portions, waiting until each quarter has been thoroughly incorporated before adding more.
Step 4: Prepare the pan
- Add theĀ zest. and fold it in with a spatula.Pour into the prepared pan(s).
Step 5: Bake
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.Cool on a wire rack to room temperature before removing it from the pan.
How to make mandarin orange syrup and candied zest
Step 1: Make the syrup
- To make the syrup and candied peels, wash theĀ mandarine rind. Scrape off the white layer from the inside. Chop into very thin slivers.Mix 3 cups of water,Ā juice,Ā sugar,Ā vanilla, and boil over very low heat until the liquid has reduced to half a cup (40-60 minutes).
How to serve mandarin orange cake
Step 1: Serving
- When it's time to serve, drizzle the cakes with the syrup and serve garnished with the candied peels.
Notes
Nutrition
By , published Jan 2, 2017 on Tia Clara
Cindy
The cake was very dry , will not be making it again
Tia Clara
Hi Cindy. May I ask what you did with the syrup? You're supposed to soak the cake in it. I don't see how it could be dry at the end.
Eli
Hi! They look amazing? Instead of small tins, can I put the whole butter in a 8inch tin loaf? Any idea about the baking time if so? Many thanks!
Tia Clara
Hi Eli, I haven't tested the recipe for that. If you feel like experimenting, please come back and report the results. š
Jess
This made my husband happy, I'm still learning to enjoy citrus inspired baked goods thanks to his undying love for them:)
Melissa B. { hungryfoodlove }
I grew up eating mandarins all the time. There was a tree than hanged from the neighboor's house fence to the sidewak in the street. We would grab mandarins from that tree and eat them as is. The use of mandarins in baking really excites me and will definitely try them in place of oranges.
Loren Anthony aka JavaThe Hunny
I have a question I tried to make cake from scratch for the very first time and it sank in the middle! and even tho I sprayed and dusted the pan it stuck! The only thing I could think of that I didn't do was sift the dry ingredients is it really an important step? And if so why?
Suzanne Perazzini
You have made these small cakes look delicious. I can see why your clients would be happy with your work. And how lucky you are to wake up each morning excited about the day.