-
1
Heat the oven to 170C/Gas 3.
-
2
Line a cake pan with greaseproof paper.
-
3
Cream the butter and sugar, until ribbons form.
-
4
This will take quite a while a you are better off leaving the work to a processor.
-
5
Add the eggs gradually, beating well after each addition.
-
6
Add the flour all at once, and beat well, then slowly add the orange juice, until it is incorporated.
-
7
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
-
8
(Slow is best, so donaTMt be afraid to cook it longer.
-
9
If it starts to brown too much on the top, cover loosely with a sheet of buttered kitchen foil.)
-
10
Leave the cake in the tin on a wire rack to cool, then gently remove the cake from the tin.
-
11
Cream the butter and the icing sugar with a fork adding the orange juice a few drops at a time until a smooth spreading consistency is achieved.
-
12
You may have to use slightly more or less icing sugar to achieve a good spread a depending on humidity.
-
13
Note:
-
14
The mandarins are coming into season now, but when they are not available, she uses either canned mandarins or just fresh Valencia oranges off our own trees.
-
15
You could also use clementines or tangerines for this recipe.
-
16
The sponge cake is a simple sponge with the juice and zest of three mandarins or 1 large orange.
-
17
The topping is a thick mandarin flavoured butter cream with mandarin slices arranged around the top of the butter cream icing.
-
18
It tastes delicious and the mandarin flavour is not too overpowering.
-
19
If you want a stronger mandarin or orange flavour, simply add more juice and zest a but remember to compensate for the extra liquid in the sponge mix.
