Mandarin and Almond Cake

The mandarin and almond cake is a soft and fragrant dessert, ideal for a snack or as the end of a meal. Here is the recipe with a small Italian touch:

Ingredients

• 200 g of almond flour
• 150 g of granulated sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 4 medium mandarins (organic if possible)
• 1 packet of baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• Butter for greasing the pan
• Flour for dusting the pan

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and prepare a round cake tin by greasing it with butter and lightly flouring it.
2. Thoroughly wash the mandarins, dry them, and then grate the zest. Squeeze the mandarins to obtain the juice.
3. In a sufficiently large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until you have a light and fluffy mixture.
4. Add the almond flour, baking powder, salt, grated zest, and mandarin juice to the mixture of eggs and sugar. Mix well until you have a smooth batter.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Once baked, let the cake cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Curiosity

The mandarin and almond cake is a typical dessert of the Mediterranean regions, where these citrus fruits abound. In Italy, especially in the South, it is common to find variations of this recipe enriched with lemon or orange icing or garnished with paper-thin slices of candied mandarin.

For an even more Italian experience, you could serve this cake accompanied by a good glass of Moscato d’Asti, a sweet sparkling wine that pairs divinely with citrus-based desserts. Enjoy your Italian touch!