Tangy & Sweet! Mandarin Pound Cake
Tangy & Sweet! Mandarin Pound Cake
Moist and Fragrant Homemade Mandarin Pound Cake Recipe
Make a unique and refreshing dessert beyond the ordinary pound cake using the abundant tangerines you have at home, especially during the holiday season or winter! While it requires a bit more effort than a standard pound cake, the rich tangerine aroma and moist texture will truly captivate your taste buds. Create a delicious mandarin pound cake at home that rivals bakery quality!
Basic Ingredients- 160g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 160g eggs, room temperature (approx. 3-4 eggs)
- 160g granulated sugar
- 2g salt
- 225g cake flour, sifted
- 25g non-fat dry milk (can substitute with cake flour if unavailable)
- 25g mandarin zest (grated mandarin peel)
- 6g baking powder
- 60g mandarin juice
- Mandarin segments for topping (to taste)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, precisely measure all the ingredients required for the recipe. If you don’t have non-fat dry milk, you can substitute it with an equal amount of cake flour. ‘Mandarin zest’ is made by thinly peeling the skin of clean mandarins, drying it well, and then finely grating it. While I’m not sure if commercial versions are available, you can omit it if you don’t have it. However, adding mandarin zest will enhance the natural tangerine aroma, further highlighting the charm of this mandarin pound cake. It’s best to have plenty of freshly squeezed mandarin juice ready, and you can enjoy any leftover juice as pure fruit juice! Prepare the mandarin segments for topping separately from those going inside the cake. Cut the mandarins intended for the batter into bite-sized pieces and lightly coat them with flour. This step prevents the mandarin pieces from sinking to the bottom of the batter during baking.
Step 2
In a bowl, place the butter that has been softened at room temperature until pliable. Whip it using a hand mixer or whisk until it becomes creamy. Once the butter is smooth and creamy, add the sugar and salt, and whip again. Then, gradually add the eggs in 2-3 additions, whipping thoroughly after each addition to prevent separation. (It’s helpful to remove the chalaza from the eggs and separate the yolks and whites before adding to further prevent separation.) Once the eggs are well combined with the butter to form an ivory-colored cream, add the sifted cake flour, non-fat dry milk, and baking powder. Mix lightly until just combined, ensuring no dry flour streaks remain.
Step 3
When the dry ingredients have just absorbed enough moisture and no longer appear dry, add the mandarin juice and gently mix. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop gluten and result in a tough cake.
Step 4
Once there are no visible streaks of dry flour, gently fold in the flour-coated mandarin pieces for the topping using a spatula. Mix by cutting through the batter in straight lines (like drawing an ’11’) or by scooping from the bottom and folding over, rather than aggressively stirring, to maintain a tender texture.
Step 5
Place the pound cake batter in a prepared loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for about 10 minutes to set the top. While the cake is in the oven, prepare the mandarin segments for topping. You can leave the peel on the mandarins for topping. Separate them into individual segments and simmer them in a sugar syrup in a saucepan. This step is mainly for visual appeal rather than taste, and it can be omitted. If you choose to simmer them, do not stir the contents of the pot directly; this can cause sugar crystallization. Instead, gently swirl the pot in a circular motion to mix. Once the syrup has reduced slightly, carefully turn the mandarin segments using a chopstick or skewer to ensure even simmering.
Step 6
After the initial 10-minute bake at 200°C (390°F), the top of the pound cake should be slightly set. At this point, use a knife lightly brushed with butter or oil to make a long cut down the center of the cake. This encourages the cake to rise beautifully along the cut. If you are adding the simmered mandarin segments to the top, make additional diagonal cuts near the center cut to create a slight recess for the mandarins to sit in. The smaller cake next to it had its sides split open in less than 10 minutes! If you are using smaller molds like financiers, you might need to shorten the initial top-baking time. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) and bake for an additional 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 7
Once baked, carefully remove the pound cake from the pan and let it cool slightly. While a split side, like on the smaller cake in the photo, can add character, for a neater and more polished look, you can dust the top with powdered sugar or brush it lightly with a glaze or apricot jam. I chose to finish it as is to avoid making it too sweet and proceeded to package it! Enjoy your moist and fragrant mandarin pound cake!
