Mandarin Morning Cake

We are proud of our mandarin tree.This citrus has struggled growing on a hard, rocky slope. We have built up the soil with lots of our home-grown compost and the tree responded by producing lovely mandarins this season. I have drawn on the much-loved Orange Almond cake to make our own Mandarin cake.

Handy Hints and Tips:
• I love to use a bunt tin when I want to cook for a crowd
• Glace Clementine are a delightful substitute for mixed peel
• Drain the natural yogurt to make it firmer and creamier for the icing.

Ingredients and Method:

2 to 3 Mandarins 
1 cup Walnuts
½ cup Pistachios
½ cup Mixed Peel
1½ cup Almond Meal
¼ cup Rice Flour
1½ teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
4 Eggs
1¼ cup Raw Sugar

Chocolate Yogurt Icing
1½ cup Pure Icing Sugar
¼ cup Cocoa Powder
60 grams Butter
100 grams Dark Chocolate 
2 big spoons of Natural Yogurt

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Place the mandarins in a saucepan with plenty of water – they will float about but not to worry, put a lid on and simmer for 2 hours, drain water and allow to cool. 

If you are using a bunt tin place it in the freezer, brush a little melted butter or oil over the cold surface of the pan, then dust with rice flour. If using a spring form pan remember to line it with baking paper.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees.

Place walnuts, pistachios and glace mixed peel in a food processor, blitz till it is gravelly and still has texture, then tip the mixture into a large bowl. Add almond meal, shifted rice flour and bicarbonate to the walnut mix, and stir to combine.

Now blitz the mandarins till they are smooth (there should be little bits of skin) this should yield about 2 cups of pulp.

Use an electric mixer to whisk eggs and raw sugar for about 5 minutes, they will be pale, creamy and have increased in volume. Gently stir the mandarin pulp with the eggs.

Now add 1/3 of the egg mix to the dry ingredients stir thoroughly, then gently fold the remaining egg and mandarin - you will have quite a sloppy mixture.

Gently spoon into your prepared cake pan, pop in the oven and cook for 40 minutes for a bunt tin or 50 minutes for a springform tin.

After 30 minutes check the cake, maybe cover it to stop it browning too much.  
The cake is ready once it pulls from the side of the pan and you can gently press the top with a finger and it holds, or otherwise check with a cake skewer.

Leave the cake in its tin on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes then gently ease the sides away from the pan a knife.

Allow to cool, then ice generously with the Chocolate Yogurt Icing, zest some orange peel to decorate.

Melt the chocolate and allow to cool. Shift icing sugar and cocoa together and cream use and electric mixer or food process to blend together. Add the melted chocolate mix again, add a bit of hot water if necessary, the mix should be stiff and gluey. Add the yogurt and mix briefly, scrape down sides and mix again. Try not to over mix else it will be very runny.
Use a knife or spatula to spread thickly over the cake. Zest an orange directly on to the cake to decorate.

Delish!

Cheers Jo