Spiced Mandarin Orange Cake

This is the easiest cake I have ever made!

This spiced mandarin almond cake starts by simmering mandarin oranges with warm winter spices, leaving your kitchen smelling like a citrusy holiday hug. The batter comes together within a couple minutes once the oranges have been cooked and is perfect served with a little Chantilly cream or ice cream. It’s also dairy and gluten free!

Very few people know this, but my Grandma grew up in Nagoya, Japan on a mandarin orange farm. The photo above is from her family’s orange farm when we visited in 2006. It was really amazing to be able to pick oranges straight from the tree and just how sweet and delicious they were.

Spiced Mandarin Orange Cake

Amara Yamamoto

Ingredients

4 Mandarin Oranges

1 Cinnamon stick

6 Cloves, whole

5 All Spice berries, whole

5 Cardamom pods

6 Eggs

1 tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Vanilla Extract

225g or 1 ¼ cup Granulated Sugar

250g or 2 ¼ cup Almond Flour

Instructions

Wash and place the oranges in a medium sauce pan. Add enough water to cover the oranges (they will float but you want a lot of water in the pan). Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, all spice, and cardamom pods in and place on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let cook for 1.5-2 hours or until the oranges are extremely soft and can be easily pierced by a spoon. 

Remove the oranges and place in a bowl to cool. Discard the spices. Let the oranges cool fully. 

Preheat the oven to 375º f.

Prepare a 9 inch spring form pan with parchment paper on the bottom and grease the sides. You can also use a regular 9 inch cake pan, just make sure to parchment paper the bottom and grease the pan well. 

Place the oranges into a blender or a food processor. Blend until they are a smooth paste. 

In a bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together. Add the vanilla and baking powder, mix together. Add in the orange purée and mix. Add in the almond flour and mix well. The mixture can not be over mixed as there is no gluten. 

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and then bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. 

If the cake starts to brown too much on top (at around 30-40 minutes), cover with aluminum foil or parchment paper. 

Let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan. 

Individual Pavlovas with Macerated Berries and Chantilly Cream

Pavlova is one of those amazing and delicious desserts that seems more simple than it can be. I have made many that are completely dried out, golden brown, and leaking sugar. One of the most important things for to help ensure perfect pavlovas is to whip the meringue until completely smooth and the sugar is dissolved. The easiest way to text this is to rub some of the meringue between your fingers, if you can still feel a little bit of sugar grit, keep mixing it. For this recipe you will need a stand mixer and to beat the meringue on high for about 10 minutes. Beating in the cornstarch, vanilla, and vinegar wont deflate the meringue as it is extremely stable with the amount of sugar to egg whites and I find that it is easier and a bit more delicate than trying to mix it in by hand. Hopefully with these few tricks, the right equipment, and this recipe you too can make this light and airy dessert. This is my go to pavlova recipe and has been served at several of the restaurants I have worked at. It’s always a hit and I highly recommend trying it!

Pavlova

Makes 12 individual pavlova 

200g   Egg whites

250g  Sugar

2 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cornstarch

Chantilly Cream 

500ml whipping cream 

50g icing sugar

¼ tsp vanilla extract

Macerated Berries  

600g Fresh Berries

50g sugar

2 tsp orange liqueur 

Pavlova

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees fahrenheit 

Place the egg whites in the bowl of the mixer

Beat the egg whites in a mixer

Once they are foamy you can start adding the sugar slowly

Once all of the sugar is beaten in continue beating for about 10 mins, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the meringue is smooth to the touch

Mix the vinegar, vanilla, and cornstarch together, add to the meringue once the sugar is dissolved and beat in for another minute or so or until it is well incorporated

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

Using an ice cream or cookie scoop, scoop the pavlova batter into 12 equal mounds

Using a smaller scoop or a spoon, create a divot in the centre of each mound to collect the toppings

Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 mins. 

The pavlovas should be firm and dry to the touch

Turn the oven off and let dry out for an additional hour

Chantilly Cream 

Place the whipping cream into the bowl of a mixer or a bowl and beat until it starts to thicken

Add icing sugar and vanilla and continue beating until soft peaks are formed

Macerated Berries 

Cut the any large berries in quarters or halves depending on the size, you’re wanting easily bite sized pieces

Place the berries in a bowl and add the sugar and liqueur

Mix to combine

Let sit a minimum of 30 minutes, stirring occasionally or over night

Assembly 
Place the pavlova on plates or a platter

Place the chantilly cream on top of the pavlova, dividing the chantilly cream equally between all of the pavlova

Top with the macerated berries 

Decorate with fresh mint leaves if you wish

Serve immediately 

The meringues will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months