Inspired by the desserts of Mediterranean and South Asian cuisines, this orange flavored, cardamom scented, olive oil based cake takes advantage of the abundance of fresh citrus found in produce aisles year round.
The semolina flour gives the cake a tender, slightly grainy texture, while the mandarin slices create a beautiful caramelized topping. Perfect for any occasion, this dessert is as stunning as it is delicious.
The unsweetened applesauce and olive oil make this cake light and moist, and the use of almond milk and nonfat Greek yogurt ensures it stays balanced in flavor and texture. The cake also pairs well with almonds or walnuts in place of the pistachio nuts.
Dr. Blake’s Top Tip: To achieve perfectly tender mandarin slices, simmer them gently in the skillet until they’re just softened. When inverting the cake, take care to do so gently to preserve the beautiful citrus pattern.
- Yield: 10 Servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar, divided
3 mandarin oranges, thinly sliced, seeded, ends reserved
1 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
Finely grated zest of one orange
Finely grated zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon chopped pistachio nuts
Instructions
1 Heat the oven to 350°F. Using a 9-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, combine 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 tablespoons mandarin juice, squeezed from the reserved ends. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the liquid reduces by half. Remove from the heat and line the bottom of the skillet with mandarin slices in a single layer, slightly overlapping. Place the skillet back on medium low heat and simmer slices until just tender, about 4 minutes, set aside.
2 Using a small bowl, whisk together the semolina and all-purpose flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom, set aside.
3 In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, orange and lemon zests and vanilla, set aside.
4 Using a medium bowl, whisk the remaining sugar, oil and applesauce thoroughly. Add the dry and wet ingredients, alternating, in two additions, stirring until just combined.
5 Carefully pour the batter into the mandarin lined skillet so as not to disturb the slices. Smooth the top with the back of the spoon or offset spatula.
6 Bake on the middle rack until golden brown and the edges pull away from the pan, about 35 minutes. A cake tester inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and carefully invert onto a wire rack and cool. Place on a serving plate and sprinkle with pistachio nuts.
Notes
- Low Sodium
- Low Protein
- Low Potassium
