Fresh Mandarin Spice Cake

It’s Mandarin Orange Season – “Cutie” Season, in my neck of the woods.

You need to try this cake. It’s moist, tender, and packed full of vibrant orange flavor. Twelve WHOLE Mandarin oranges (in full form) – yes, 12, go into the cake batter, creating a sweet and tangy slush, to be mixed with sweetened condensed milk, half a dozen eggs, and plenty of spicy “spices,” with just enough flour and melted butter to build a spectacularly beautiful and ambrosian floral blossom cake for all occasions. 

 

A festive kick comes from cinnamon and cloves, which would make this cake an ideal treat to serve to guests who pop by during the holidays – OR ANY TIME this summer!

 

Fresh Mandarin Spice Cake
 

REMEMBER – this recipe makes A LOT of yummy cake – enough for 2 full decorative bundt cake or 4 tiered layers with a vanilla cream frosting. Drool, enjoy, devour 😋

 

DRY Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground, dried ginger
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

 

Mix all ingredients well in a LARGE bowl, until ready to combine with the Mandarin orange wet ingredients.

 

WET Ingredients:
12 seeded Mandarin oranges, boiled for 20 minutes (to reduce the bitterness in the peel), strained
1 cup butter, chopped into 1″ pieces
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
6 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Process the drained oranges (pulsing) in a large food processor until chunky. 

 

Add the butter pieces, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla, and continue to pulse until combined, but still a little chunky. Mix well with the dry ingredients.

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 

Prepare two bundt pans with plenty of oil.

Fill each with half of the cake batter mixture.

 

Bake for 45-60 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.

 

Remove from the oven and cool for several hours.

 

Use a sharp knife to release the edges from the pan and invert onto a decorative plate.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar (and cinnamon, if you like).

 

Slice and serve somewhat warm.

 

The flavor bomb that will explode in your mouth and will most certainly leave you wanting and CRAVING4MORE! 

 

Just go with it!

 

Almond milk? Sesame milk? Soy milk? COW’S milk (for shame 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂 )?

 

 Enjoy in every way.