This mandarin and almond cake recipe is the perfect way to celebrate citrus season! It’s fruity, moist, and just gently spiced. Serve it with Greek yoghurt for best results!
Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Line a 24-centimetre springform cake tin with baking paper.
Cut four of the mandarins in half, and carefully remove the seeds. Roughly chop them, leaving the skin on. Put the remaining two mandarins aside for the syrup.
Place the four chopped mandarins in a large food processor, along with the caster sugar, and process until finely chopped.
Add the eggs, and process until combined. Add the almond meal, baking powder, cinnamon, and cardamom and process to a smooth batter. Don’t over mix, only process until just combined. The batter will be quite runny, don’t worry if it looks too wet!
Place the batter in the prepared cake tin. Evenly spread the slivered almonds on top of the batter, and then place in the oven to bake. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and the top is a golden brown. Cool for ten minutes and then remove from the tin and place on a rack to keep cooling.
While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. Peel the remaining two mandarins. Separate the segments, and remove as much of the pith as possible. Slice the peel into thin strips.
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high, and boil for about 5 minutes or until the consistency is like a thin syrup.
Add the slivers of mandarin peel to the syrup and reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to cook for 8-10 minutes or until a thick syrup has formed.
Decorate the top of the cake with the candied mandarin peel, mandarin syrup, and fresh mandarin segments. Serve alongside Greek yoghurt for best results!