I look forward to baking this cake in autumn when mandarins are at their peak; some varieties continue into June and winter, which gives you time to get into the kitchen and start baking. In this cake, the lusciousness of the pistachios and the sweetness of the mandarins, make a perfect and flavoursome match. They give the cake a beautiful colour, and great texture, plus it is lovely and moist. It stays fresh for a few days and makes a wonderful dessert cake with yoghurt or whipped cream, so start your baking now!
This recipe is a variation of the classic Claudia Roden and Elizabeth David’s orange and almond flourless cake. You can substitute the pistachios for macadamias or almonds, too if you wish. And as Claudia Roden said ‘its perfect in its simplicity’.
For the cake
300g, about 2 – 3, seedless mandarins
4 eggs
220g, 1 cup, dark brown sugar
200g unsalted shelled pistachios, finely chopped in food processor
1 tsp baking powder
almond meal, 1 – 3 tbsp or even more, depending on the juiciness of the mandarins.
whipped cream or yoghurt to serve
For the garnish
Sprinkling of icing sugar
Mandarin leaves, flowers, or cumquats
Cook’s note: this cake requires 2 hours of preparation for the mandarins
Place mandarins in a saucepan and cover with cold water and a cartouche to keep mandarins submerged. You could also use a saucer to do this. Bring to the boil, then drain. Repeat twice more.
Boil a fourth time then reduce heat to medium and simmer covered under the cartouche for uo to 45 minutes to 1 hour, until very tender. Drain and cool for an hour.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 19cm, round cake pan.
Process the pistachios in the food processor until finely chopped. Set aside. Quarter mandarins, remove the tiny ‘stalk’, white pithy mebranes and any seeds. Process in a food processor, with their skins on, until smooth.
Whisk eggs and brown sugar until thick and pale. Add mandarin mixture, pistachios, baking powder and almond meal. Assess the juiciness of the mixture, and add 1 to 3 tablespoons, or even more, of almond meal. You do not want the mixture too thin. Gently fold with a metal spoon until just combined. Pour into the prepared tin.
Bake for 1 hour in your pre-heated 180°C. oven, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Check after 30 minutes and if the cake is getting too golden or brown, on top, cover loosely with a piece of baking paper to protect the top. Cool in the pan and serve with whipped cream or yoghurt.
Cook’s note: A cartouche is a simple circle of baking paper used to cover food during the cooking process. It is placed on top of the food you are cooking to keep it submerged and so it cooks evenly. It may also be used to cover a sauce, mayonnaise or gravy to stop a skin forming. It is useful when poaching pears in red or white wine as the pears need to be submerged during cooking so they cook and colour evenly.
* This recipe is based on that of Jenny Fisher, from Mathoura Mandarins; her farm gate shop, just north of Echuca on the Cobb Highway, is open seven days a week during the citrus season.
