Description
Mandarin orange cake delights palates with its zesty citrus notes and tender crumb. Bakers can savor each moist slice, experiencing Mediterranean sweetness that lingers pleasantly on their tongue.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups white granulated sugar
- 8 egg yolks
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)
- 1 ⅓ cups fresh mandarin oranges, crushed
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 16 ounces (453 g) fresh pineapple, crushed
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 box (3.4 oz or 96 g) vanilla pudding mix (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Preparation: Warm the oven to 350°F and meticulously coat two 8-inch round cake pans with grease and flour.
- Fruit Processing: Transform mandarin oranges into silky puree using a food processor, ensuring smooth consistency.
- Creaming Foundation: Whip butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until achieving a light, voluminous texture that resembles fluffy clouds.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Fold egg yolks, mandarin orange puree, and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture, creating a harmonious blend.
- Dry Ingredient Combination: Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt together, ensuring uniform distribution of leavening agents.
- Batter Formation: Delicately incorporate dry ingredients into wet mixture, alternating with milk and minimizing mixing to preserve the cake’s tender crumb.
- Baking Process: Distribute batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing surfaces, and bake for 25-28 minutes until cake responds with springy resilience when touched.
- Cooling Stage: Rest cakes in pans for 20 minutes, then transition to cooling rack to stabilize structure.
- Frosting Preparation: Pulverize fresh pineapple into smooth puree, then whip heavy cream to form sturdy, defined peaks.
- Cream Enhancement: Gently fold powdered sugar, pineapple puree, and optional vanilla pudding mix into whipped cream, creating a luscious frosting.
- Cake Assembly: Position first cake layer on serving plate, lavishly spreading pineapple cream frosting, then carefully crown with second layer.
- Final Decoration: Completely enrobe cake with remaining pineapple cream frosting, adding optional decorative elements, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Puree Precision: Ensure mandarin oranges are fully blended for smooth, consistent flavor and texture throughout the cake.
- Mixing Method: Fold dry ingredients gently to prevent gluten development, keeping the cake light and tender.
- Baking Doneness: Test cake’s readiness by lightly pressing center – it should spring back immediately, indicating perfect baking.
- Frosting Tip: Chill whipped cream mixture briefly before spreading to maintain stability and easier application on cake layers.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-28 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 396
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 165 mg