Recipe: Mandarin and almond cakes

These little cakes can be made a day in advance and dipped in syrup on the day. For children, serve with small scoops of pistachio gelato or vanilla bean ice-cream.

2 (300g each) large mandarins
4 eggs (59g each)
255g caster sugar
200g ground almonds
30g fine semolina
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbs light olive oil
1 tsp orange blossom water, optional
40g flaked almonds, lightly toasted
½ cup (175g) orange breakfast marmalade
½ cup (90g) honey
50g pistachio kernels, lightly roasted, skins rubbed
300ml double cream or mascarpone

1. Place mandarins in a large saucepan and cover with water. Keep submerged with a plate. Bring to a simmer over low-medium heat and cook for 11/2 hours, then remove and cool. Cut mandarins in half, remove any pips, then process halves in a food processor until pureed.
2. Preheat oven to 190ºC. Grease 8 x 200ml metal pudding moulds. Using an electric mixer, whisk eggs and 200g sugar until just pale. Using a fine sieve, sift ground almonds, semolina, baking powder and ½ tsp salt over egg mixture. Add oil, orange blossom water (if using), pureed mandarins and almonds. Fold to combine.
3. Spoon batter among moulds, filling to 5mm from top. Place on an oven tray and bake on lowest shelf for 20-25 minutes or until dark golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cakes in tins for 5 minutes, then invert on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipes: Sophia Young. Photography: Ben Dearnley. Styling: Michelle Noerianto. Food preparation: Lisa Featherby & Sophia Young.