Sicilian Mandarin Orange Cake

Orange-colored round cake with one slice cut into it. Dusted with powdered sugar. Sitting on a clear glass plate.

What’s a great way to chase the blues away? Indulging in the bright flavors of citrus!  

Here’s a fun cake to make because you cook mandarins until soft and the bitterness of the pith is tamed, and then they’re blended up as part of the batter! The rind and almond flour lend a nice taste and textural dimension to this moist masterpiece. Choose organic mandarins for this recipe since you’re using the entire fruit. 

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs, separated  
  • ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar  
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for pan – fruity, high quality EVOO a plus! 
  • 3 medium mandarins, organic preferred  
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pan  
  • ¾ cup almond meal  
  • Powdered sugar for decoration/dusting  

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line base of a 9-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease/flour sides.  
  2. Place mandarins and enough water to cover in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 10 minutes. Drain. Put mandarins back in pot with cold water and repeat process.  
  3. Rinse mandarins and allow to cool enough so you can handle them. Cut into ½ inch slices, then dice. Remove any seeds, let cool completely. Place in food processor/high-speed blender and pulse to blend. Scrape sides between pulses, until only a few visible bits of rind remain. It doesn’t need to be completely smooth. Add in olive oil and pulse to combine all, then let cool completely.  
  4. In a bowl, beat egg yolks and ½ cup sugar. Add in mandarin/olive oil combo and beat again to combine.  
  5. In a medium bowl, combine almond meal and all-purpose flour. Little by little, add this to wet ingredients, making sure no clumps form.  
  6. Use clean electric beaters to beat egg whites and 2 Tbsp sugar in large, clean dry bowl until firm peaks form. Use a large metal spoon to fold half of the egg whites into the rest of the ingredients. Fold in the other half of egg whites until just combined.   
  7. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden and a test skewer comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.