Let's Eat Mandarin, Almond and Semolina Cake with Mandarin and Fennel Seed Syrup

Went to our friends next door for a Monday night meal last night so I thought I'd whip up a sweet treat to take with us, so it was mandarin cake.

There's not an abundance of fruit around at this time of year, start of winter here in Oz, though what's about is really lovely, and there's so much to do with it that makes for a heart warming treat.

The humble mandarin, or "mandy" as they're known in our house, never fails to please. But, as our trip to the Sydney Markets proved on the weekend, not all mandarins are equal. Have you noticed how at every mandarin stand there's always one or two pieces of fruit open for you to try? Well that was the case at the market stall, though what we actually brought home was a mix of varieties all from the same stall and from the same basket - some were packed with flavour and juice, others just very dull.

Nevertheless, not to spoil a good whip up, I set to with a staple cake recipe that I have found in Dish magazine. I've adjusted this somewhat to suit my tastes, and to make it dairy free as well. It's light, looks great, and never fails to please.

Mandarin, Almond and Semolina Cake with Mandarin and Fennel Seed Syrup

I've adapted this recipe so many different ways. Try these combinations:

• Lime and saffron
• Lemon and Lime
• Just lime or just lemon
• Add carrot, freshly ground cloves, cinnamon and mixed spice and top with pine nuts
• Lemon and raspberry
• Raspberry and coconut syrup
• Orange cake with orange and lavender syrup

The cake is really moist, and has a slightly crumbly texture, with a delicious spice infused sweet syrup. It will keep for around 4-5 days easily if you really need it too, though in our house it'll be lucky to be there in the morning.

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Mandarin, Almond and Semolina Cake with Mandarin and Fennel Seed Syrup

Cake

100mls vegetable oil
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 x eggs
125g almond meal
1/3 cup fine semolina
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
finely grated zest and juice of 2-3 mandarins

Syrup

1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tbsp honey
6 tbsp water
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 3-4 mandarins
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
peel from 1 mandarin, thinly sliced into strips

Preheat oven to 160 deg C. (Using fan bake)
Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.

Cake: Beat together the eggs and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add the vegetable oil until mixture is well emulsified. Combine the almond meal, semolina, baking powder, salt and mandarin zest in a bowl. Rub the mixture together with your hands to ensure the oil from the mandarin zest infuses well with the other ingredients. Gently beat into the egg mixture along with the mandarin juice. The mixture may appear quite runny and this is normal.

Tip into the cake tin and smooth the top. Bake for around 30 minutes until golden and set. You shouldn't need to skewer the centre - test to ensure the cake doesn't wobble and the sides are starting to just come away from the edge of the baking tin. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin.

Syrup: Place all ingredients except the mandarin peel strips into a small pan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Simmer over a medium heat until the surface is covered with small bubbles and the syrup becomes thick. Taste to ensure that you have the right amount of sugar to juice ratio - it shouldn't be too sweet. Add the mandarin peel and the fennel seeds and simmer for a further 3-4 minutes.

When the cake has cooled, spoon the syrup over the cake. You should have the cake on the plate you'll be serving it on at this point, because you won't be able to pick it up and move it once you've put the syrup on. Serve with lashings of thick yoghurt, or a mix of yoghurt and cream, or creme fraiche.

Bon Appetite!