Mandarin & Almond Cake
This delicious, moist mandarin and almond cake is completely gluten-free, grain-free and dairy free.
I’d love to say it’s also high in vitamin C, but sadly, vitamin C is destroyed by cooking, so you’ll still need to get your 200mg (recommended intake) from elsewhere.
Each of 10 slices contains 7g protein,12.5g fat (only 0.9 g saturated fat) and 240 kCals.
- OmniBlender
- Springform cake tin
- oven
for the cake
- 200 g whole almonds (preferably organic)
- 350 g clementine mandarins
- 5 free range eggs
- 1 cup raw sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
for the syrup
- 1 juice of mandarin
- 1 juice of lime
- 1/4 cup raw sugar
For serving
- 1-2 dollops yoghurt (natural unsweetened, or dairy-free alternative such as cashew cream, or coconut yogurt)
Mandarin & Almond Cake: Method
Presoak the almonds – overnight is ideal, otherwise in hot water while the mandarins are cooking.
Slice the mandarins in half to check for guava moth (more likely if organic/home grown).
Remove any visible seeds and stems.
Place in a large saucepan and add about a liter of cold water.
Cover with a lid, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 1 hour.
Drain the water (bitterness will go with it), let it stand so it can cool a little.
Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.
Grease a 21cm round springform cake tin, and line with baking paper.
Drain the almonds. Put them into your Omniblender and use the PULSE function until they are well-chopped.
Tip out into a bowl (it’s OK if some stays in the jar).
Place the cooked mandarins – just as they are – into the Omniblender and process for a 35 second cycle.
Then add the eggs, sugar, baking powder, vanilla and the almond meal.
Process for about 60 seconds – the mix should be very well combined.
Pour the almond and mandarin cake mixture into the prepared cake tin and put into the hot oven.
After half an hour cover (e.g., with foil), then bake for a further 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, but leave it in the cake tin.
Make the syrup for your Mandarin & Almond Cake
Mix the second measure of sugar with the mandarin and lime juice.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
With the cake still in, place the tin on a plate (to catch any syrup that leaks through)!
Pour the syrup over the cake while it’s still warm.
Allow the cake to cool a little before removing it from the tin.
Serve warm or cold. Add yoghurt if desired.
TIPS: If you make your own almond milk this would be a great use of the solids that you are left with!
You don’t have to throw away the mandarin cooking water – it is a bitter tonic, which can stimulate the appetite.
