Gluten Free Almond Mandarin/Orange Cake

We are so lucky to have so many fruit trees.  We love being able to walk around the place and just pick fruit and eat it as we go.  It can't get fresher than that.  The citrus trees do very well, the lime (the Jessica tree as shown here) and mandarin trees are very prolific.  Here is one of our favourite, ever so easy recipes to use up the glut of mandarins and eggs (we have chooks as well).  So that I can make this cake all year round I usually cook and puree the mandarins then freeze it in measured portions, I just defrot a portion when needed.
 I use 5 mandarins per cake so I boil them in multiples of 5 then divide the pureed mixture into equal portions (ie 50 mandarins = 10 servings/cakes).  I freeze the mixtures flat in zip lock bags, which I take out of the freezer about ½ an hour before I need it, usually by the time I get the ingredients together , line the cake tin/s and start mixing the cake it is thawed enough to use.

Clean the fruit and remove any blemishes.

Cover with water and bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer for approximately 2 hours or until the fruit is soft.

Once cooked, drain and return to saucepan.

Puree until smooth.

Divide into equal amounts.

Freeze.

Remove the frozen mandarin puree approximately 1/2 hour before it is needed.

 

Orange/Mandarin and Almond Cake

Ingredients

2 oranges or 5 mandarins
6 eggs
250g caster sugar
250g almond meal
1tsp baking powder
Icing sugar for dusting after baking

Preparation

Wash oranges/mandarins and place unpeeled, in a pot of boiling water and simmer for 2 hours. Drain the water and allow fruit to cool.  Puree fruit including the skin and pips until smooth. (I use a wand/stick blender).  Preheat oven to 190°C.

Break 6 eggs into a mixing bowl. Add caster sugar and beat/blend together.

Place the pureed oranges/mandarins into the egg mix.  Blend together to a smooth consistency. Add the almond meal and baking powder and blend.

Line 20 cm spring form baking pan with baking paper.

Pour batter into the pan/s and bake for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until the top is golden brown.

Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream or ice cream.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy this cake as much as we do.  Carole