Mandarin and yoghurt cake with cardamom syrup

Name: Mandarin and yoghurt cake with cardamom syrup
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8-10
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 12-14 mandarins (you’ll need 500ml juice altogether); 420g plain flour; 1½ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp salt; 200g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature; 250g caster sugar; 3 large eggs, at room temperature; 100g plain Greek yoghurt, plus extra to serve; icing sugar, for dusting the cake

Helen Goh

June 23, 2023

Serve this mandarin syrup cake with extra yoghurt on the side.William Meppem

Time:1-2 hoursServes:8-10

Using both the peel and the juice of the mandarins maximises the fruit’s potential in this syrup-laced cake. Some varieties of the citrus have a herbal note, and I’m amplifying that here with a little cardamom to infuse in the syrup. A couple of cinnamon sticks or sprigs of rosemary would be great substitutes, but feel free to leave the spices out altogether for a pure citrus flavour.

Ingredients

For the cake

12-14 mandarins (you’ll need 500ml juice altogether)
420g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
200g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
250g caster sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
100g plain Greek yoghurt, plus extra to serve
icing sugar, for dusting the cake

For the mandarin syrup

250g sugar
12 cardamom pods (optional), lightly crushed

Method

Step 1
Line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
Step 2
Slice 2 of the mandarins into quarters and peel the skin away. Set the flesh aside for now. Using a small teaspoon, scrape the white pith off the quartered peel and slice lengthways into 3 or 4 strips approximately 1cm wide. Place the peel into a heat-proof bowl and pour freshly boiled water to cover, then set aside.
Step 3
Peel the remaining mandarins and discard the peel. Place the mandarins, including the two from earlier, into the food processor and process until liquidised. Strain the juice into a large jug – it will need to hold at least 500ml – and discard the solids.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 175C fan-forced (195C conventional) and sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.
Step 5
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a cake mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and creamy (about 2 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition. Reduce speed to low and alternately add the sifted dry ingredients, 250ml of mandarin juice (save the remainder for the syrup) and the yoghurt. Mix just until combined, then scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Step 6
While the cake is in the oven, prepare the syrup by combining the remaining mandarin juice, sugar and cardamom pods (if using) in a medium saucepan. Strain the reserved soaked peel and add to the saucepan, then place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly syrupy (about 10 minutes).
Step 7
When the cake is out of the oven, use a long cake skewer to pierce holes all over the top, right through to the bottom. Strain the warm syrup into a jug or bowl, discarding the cardamom pods and seeds but reserving the mandarin peel, which will have turned gloriously translucent and slightly candied. Gradually spoon the warm syrup all over the hot cake until all of it has been absorbed. Allow the cake to cool in the tin before turning it out onto a serving plate. When ready to serve, sieve icing sugar liberally all over, then pile the candied peel in the centre.