This beautiful mandarin cake is light but moist, and delicately flavoured with mandarin. Made with almond meal, this cake is naturally gluten free and dairy free; however you would never know it.
This almond cake is based on an Italian almond cake recipe and uses olive oil instead of butter. Not only does the oil help create that light and fluffy texture, but it means that the cake stays beautifully moist for a few days. Since we had to go gluten free at the beginning of the year for my son, I have been experimenting with various flours and I just love baking with almond meal. It gives a wonderful texture to cakes in particular, and this one is combined with a little tapioca flour which helps lighten the crumb.
Mandarins are a beautiful winter fruit, they always seem to brighten the darker days. I have been making mandarin curd for a while and, whilst I have a lemon drizzle cake, chocolate orange cake and even a lime cake, I thought it was about time I had a mandarin cake recipe on here too.
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Ingredient notes and substitutions
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient quantities.
- Mandarins – substitute with a clementine or orange.
- Egg size – I use Australian extra large eggs, if you are in the US use extra large eggs, if you are in the UK, use size large eggs.
- Almond meal – also known as ground almonds. Almond flour is finer in texture but will work in this recipe.
- Tapioca flour – this gluten free flour helps create a light textured cake. You should be able to find it in the baking section of the supermarket with the other flours.
- Olive oil – I use an extra virgin olive oil. I recommend using a mild flavoured oil unless you don’t mind a savoury note in your cake – we don’t!
Serving Ideas
If you want to serve this cake for dessert, I recommend serving it with whipped cream or mascarpone as ice cream is too dense for this delicate cake. If you want to use up the mandarin juice, stir it into mascarpone with a spoonful of icing sugar and serve the cake with that. Delicious!
Make ahead/storage
This mandarin orange cake keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Why not try…
You may also like these other cakes made with almond meal (ground almonds):
Mandarin Cake
Author: Robyn
This light and fluffy gluten-free almond and mandarin cake is a beautiful winter bake.
Gluten Free
Equipment
- 21 cm / 8 inch round cake pan or springform pan
Ingredients
- 180 g ground almonds
- 40 g tapioca flour
- 3 eggs size extra large / large – see notes
- 125 g caster sugar
- 120 ml olive oil
- 1 mandarin zested
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 4 tablespoons flaked almonds
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar for the top, optional. Make sure it is gluten-free if needing the cake to be gluten-free.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160℃ fan / 180℃ / 356℉.
- Grease and line 21 cm / 8 inch round cake pan or springform pan.
- In a medium bowl mix the ground almonds with the tapioca flour. Set aside.
- Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl, and then add the sugar. Using the whisk attachment or hand mixer, whisk them together until light and fluffy – around 2 minutes.
- Add the olive oil, mandarin zest and vanilla bean paste and whisk for 30 seconds.
- Add the flours and gently fold in until no lumps remain.
- Pour into the lined tin, sprinkle with the flaked almonds and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
- Once cold, dust with icing sugar and serve!
Notes
Egg size – I use Australian extra large eggs, if you are in the US use extra large eggs, if you are in the UK, use size large eggs.
Almond meal – also known as ground almonds. Almond flour is finer in texture but should work in this recipe.
Tapioca flour – helps create a light texture. You should be able to find it in the baking section of the supermarket with the other flours.
NOTE**If making this cake for someone on a strict gluten-free diet, eg someone with coeliac disease, please check ALL packets to make sure they don’t contain gluten.**
Storage – the cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 5gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 16mgPotassium: 53mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 109IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to see your creation!
Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen
Or just leave a comment below!
Ingredients
- 180 g almond meal
- 40 g tapioca flour
- 3 eggs size extra large
- 125 g caster sugar
- ½ c olive oil
- 1 mandarin zested
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 4 tablespoons flaked almonds
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar for the top, optional. Make sure it is gluten-free if needing the cake to be gluten-free.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160℃ fan / 180℃ / 356℉.
- Grease and line 21 cm / 8 inch round cake pan or springform pan.
- In a medium bowl mix the almond meal with the tapioca flour. Set aside.
- Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl, and then add the sugar. Using the whisk attachment or hand mixer, whisk them together until light and fluffy – around 2 minutes.
- Add the olive oil, mandarin zest and vanilla bean paste and whisk for 30 seconds.
- Add the flours and gently fold in until no lumps remain.
- Pour into the lined tin, sprinkle with the flaked almonds and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
- Once cold, dust with icing sugar and serve!
Notes
Egg size – I use Australian extra large eggs, if you are in the US use extra large eggs, if you are in the UK, use size large eggs.
Almond meal – also known as ground almonds. Almond flour is finer in texture but should work in this recipe.
Tapioca flour – helps create a light texture. You should be able to find it in the baking section of the supermarket with the other flours.
NOTE**If making this cake for someone on a strict gluten-free diet, eg someone with coeliac disease, please check ALL packets to make sure they don’t contain gluten.**
Storage – the cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 5gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 16mgPotassium: 53mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 109IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to see your creation!
Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen
Or just leave a comment below!
Ingredients
- 180 g almond meal / almond flour
- 40 g tapioca flour
- 3 eggs size extra large
- 125 g caster sugar
- ½ c olive oil
- 1 mandarin zested
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 4 tablespoons flaked almonds
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar for the top, optional. Make sure it is gluten-free if needing the cake to be gluten-free.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160℃ fan / 180℃ / 356℉.
- Grease and line 21 cm / 8 inch round cake pan or springform pan.
- In a medium bowl mix the almond meal / almond flour with the tapioca flour. Set aside.
- Add the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl, and then add the sugar. Using the whisk attachment or hand mixer, whisk them together until light and fluffy – around 2 minutes.
- Add the olive oil, mandarin zest and vanilla bean paste and whisk for 30 seconds.
- Add the flours and gently fold in until no lumps remain.
- Pour into the lined tin, sprinkle with the flaked almonds and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
- Once cold, dust with icing sugar and serve!
Notes
Egg size – I use Australian extra large eggs, if you are in the US use extra large eggs, if you are in the UK, use size large eggs.
Almond meal – also known as ground almonds. Almond flour is finer in texture but should work in this recipe.
Tapioca flour – helps create a light texture. You should be able to find it in the baking section of the supermarket with the other flours.
NOTE**If making this cake for someone on a strict gluten-free diet, eg someone with coeliac disease, please check ALL packets to make sure they don’t contain gluten.**
Storage – the cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 5gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 16mgPotassium: 53mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 109IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to see your creation!
Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen
Or just leave a comment below!
Let me know your thoughts!