Spiced Mandarin Upside Down Cake
winter citrus + spicy ginger = match made in holiday heaven
I don’t know if it’s the Floridian in me, but I love winter citrus. There is something about the brightest little fruits stepping into the spotlight just as gloomy, cold winter rolls in that makes me a little giddy. A few weeks ago, as the temperatures started to drop, I bought a giant bag of mandarins at Costco. I snacked on a few of them, but pretty soon, I found myself with a handful of mandarins that were past their prime—and this cake was born.
It’s a simple, blending-method snack cake, dense and moist. The cake batter is filled with nutty browned butter, spicy freshly grated ginger, and a pinch of cardamom, while the buttermilk and yogurt make for a soft, tender crumb. I sprinkled a layer of brown sugar and honey on the bottom of the pan and then arranged the mandarin wedges on top before smothering with cake batter, creating a sweet, sticky citrus coating when the cake is inverted. If you’re feeling extra fancy, sprinkle the top with sugar and torch it to brûlée the top just before serving.
Spiced Mandarin Upside Down
makes one 9” cake
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, browned
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, divided
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
3 mandarins, zested, peeled and segmented
1/2 cup (113 g) buttermilk
1/2 cup (113 g) whole milk yogurt or sour cream
2 eggs
2 tbsp honey
Procedure:
Line a 9” springform pan with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the brown sugar in an even layer in the bottom of the pan and drizzle with the 2 tbsp of honey. Arrange the segmented mandarins in an even layer over the brown sugar and honey. Set aside.
Place butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 6-7 minutes, swirling occasionally, until the butter begins to foam and smells nutty and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamom, freshly grated ginger, and mandarin zest.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, yogurt, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Add the browned butter and whisk once more until batter is very smooth and homogenized.
Pour the batter over the mandarins and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a cake tester or knife comes out clean when inserted.
Let the cake cool slightly and then invert onto a serving plate while still warm. If desired, sprinkle a layer of sugar over the top of the cake and brûlée with a torch.
P.S. This cake holds beautifully, so feel free to make it a day or two ahead and store it in the fridge wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Take it out a few hours before you’re ready to serve to allow it to come to room temperature and then pop it in the oven for a few minutes to warm up the sticky, upside down layer right before you serve it.
