Portions: 6 servings Calories: 337kcal |
For me, mandarin oranges are part of our family's holiday season traditional foods, and this easy mandarin orange cake recipe from scratch takes advantage of a fruit full of the comforting aromas of the coziest time of the year. Treat yourself to an amazing dessert!
By - Revised . Original Jan 2, 2017.
Mandarin Orange Cake [Video+Recipe].
Why we ❤️ it
- Inspired by a recipe from my mother-in-law, this fluffy mandarin cake recipe is wonderful with a light and fresh citrus flavor.
- The combination of vanilla and the citrus aroma of the mandarins is what really did the trick.
- The result is a small but mighty cake, one of my two favorite mandarin recipes.
- It's easy to make, requires no frosting, and takes much less time to prepare than most cakes.
- I prefer to make it in small bundt cakes, but it can also be baked in a single round cake. You'll love it either way.
Mandarin Orange Cake [Video+Recipe]
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Utensils and tools
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 stick salted butter, [113 grams, 4 ounces] at room temperature, plus extra to grease the pan
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, [120 grams, 4.2 ounces], plus extra to dust pan
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup sugar (white, granulated), (white, granulated) [200 grams, 7.1 onces]
- 2 eggs, (medium), at room temperature
- 2 tablespoon mandarin juice
- ¼ teaspoon mandarin zest
For the syrup
- Peel of a quarter of a mandarin orange
- 1 cup mandarin juice
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- Seeds of ½ vanilla pod, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Video
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven
Preheat oven to 350 ºF [175 ºC].
2. Sift flour
Sift flour and baking soda together. Set aside.
3. Beat the butter
- 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.
4. Incorporate flour
- 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.Add the zest. and fold it in with a spatula.
5. Pour into the mold
- 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.Pour the batter into the prepared molds.
6. 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.
7. Make the syrup
- To make the syrup and candied peels, wash the mandarine rind. Scrape off the white layer (pinth) from the inside. Chop into very thin sticks.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).
8. Serving
- When it's time to serve, drizzle the cakes with the syrup and serve garnished with the candied peels.
Top tips
- Proper rising: When cakes don't rise, 9/10 times it's because the leavening agent isn't fresh or has passed its expiration date. Make sure the baking soda is still good. You can test it by pouring a few drops of vinegar into a teaspoon of baking soda and seeing if it bubbles.
- Squeezing mandarins: If you have never squeezed a mandarin before (I hadn't), do it as you would a normal orange and remember to strain the juice before using it.
- Molds: I used a 6-hole silicone mold that does not need to be greased.
- Leftover mandarins: If you have leftover mandarins, you can also make mandarin liqueur or mandarin juice. Or you can peel and eat them; they are like nature's dessert in a convenient package.
- Quick version: The main appeal of this cake is the mandarin syrup and candied peel. If you want something simpler, you can make the cake with a box mix and just make the mandarin syrup to add when serving. It's not exactly the same, but it will dress up a box mix.
Serving suggestions
This is perfect to go with afternoon coffee and tea, especially the mini-bundt cakes.
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Nutrition
Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 234mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 644IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
Learn how to make best mandarin orange cake recipe, easy, fast, uncomplicated. Aromatic and flavorful, it is perfect as dessert, or to serve alongside the afternoon coffee or tea.
This made my husband happy, I'm still learning to enjoy citrus inspired baked goods thanks to his undying love for them:)
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… Read more »
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.
The recipe says 1/2 cup of sugar, but in parentheses it says 200 grams.
200 grams of sugar equals 1 cup, not half a cup. Which amount is correct?
The cake was very dry , will not be making it again
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.
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!
Hi Eli, I haven't tested the recipe for that. If you feel like experimenting, please come back and report the results. 🙂
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… Read more »