This was my first attempt at making an Upside Down Mandarin Cake and it turned out perfect. I’d say the caramelizing of the mandarin slices in the pan took the most time. Once I took it out of the oven and coated it with warm sweet honey, the flavors in my mouth were bursting with so much sweet citrus goodness — so decadent. I even had my little boy Oliver demolishing it because it tasted so delicious.
So, as hard as this recipe looks, it’s actually super easy to make. Just make sure you use super juicy and sweet Mandarins. I got mine from Vons and the brand of mandarin is Peelz. Highly recommend these little guys, easy to peel as well. Mandarins are also a great source of vitamin C and contain vitamin A. They also contain dietary fibre and nutrients and minerals such as potassium and manganese.
The recipe is below if anyone wants to make an Upside Down Cake. If you want to replace the sugars to be a little healthier, just use 1 mashed banana and 2 tbs honey and add ½ cup more of flour to give you that texture.
Upside Down Mandarin Cake
Difficulty: Medium
Serves: 8
Time: 40 min
Ingredients
10 mandarins
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed mandarin juice
1 tablespoon mandarin zest
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plain yogurt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper making sure the bottom is covered and spray with non-stick spray.
- With a sharp knife, slice the mandarins with the skin still on as thin as possible.
- In a small pot combine & simmer sugar & water together until the sugar dissolves completely, about 45 seconds. Add sliced mandarin & gently simmer for 5 minutes.
- Carefully remove the simmered sliced mandarins & range them on the base of your prepared cake tin, each slice overlapping the other to create a beautiful rose or fan.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter & sugars together until light & fluffy. -Add in eggs, juice, zest, and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt, whisking to combine. Slowly alternate folding in the flour mixture and the yogurt into the wet ingredients until everything is combined. The mixture will be thick.
- Pour the batter over the prepared citrus slices, spreading it evenly to the edges.
- Bake for 35 minutes, then allow to cool completely before inverting onto a serving tray
