Mandarin oranges and oranges are in season throughout winter. We think that these fruits are the only way to survive a cold winter. ;P Instead of just snacking on these fruits and perhaps using them in a fruit salad, we recommend putting a few aside for this delicious Mandarin Oranges Streusel Cake. Vitamins and cake all in one – is there anything better?
Mandarin oranges are harvested from November to March in the countries where they are grown in Southern Europe – this is also the time when the fruits can be found in supermarkets everywhere. We tend to associate lemons, oranges, and such with summer and warmth, but with mandarin oranges it seems to be the other way around (at least for us here). It’s hard to imagine Christmas without delicious mandarins. For example, they always end up in our Santa’s shoe with a few walnuts and chocolates. There would certainly have been a revolt back when we were kids if that hadn’t been the case. ;P
Even though mandarins are very popular in our region in winter, they are rarely used in baking. There are plenty of desserts with mandarins (often from a can and not fresh ones), but they rarely end up in baked cakes. Why is that? The question is quickly answered. Mandarins are only suitable for baking to a limited extent, because they sometimes don’t tolerate heat very well. ;)
Mandarin oranges are generally sweet and really tasty. However, if you have eaten mandarins, you will certainly have noticed that you can be unlucky from time to time and get mandarins that are less sweet and possibly even bitter. This is primarily due to the ripeness of the fruit. Sometimes a mandarin orange should simply have hung on the tree and in the sun a little longer to make it sweeter.
Bitter mandarin oranges should never be used for baking, so always test them first! Those bitter fruits can perhaps be used to make jam (with loads of sugar), but they are not suitable for cakes and desserts. Something that makes mandarins bitter as well, even if the fruit otherwise tastes sweet, are the white parts of the peel and the membranes between the pulp. Especially when these parts of the mandarin oranges are being heated… for example in the oven when baked.
That probably sounds counterproductive for a cake like this mandarin streusel cake here. Nobody wants to bite into something bitter when they eat a piece of cake. We’ve baked this cake here several times and only once had the misfortune that some mandarins were slightly bitter after baking. We’re not quite sure whether it was because we ate the cake while it was still warm or because the fruits were more bitter than others we used before – when it had cooled completely, the bitter taste was almost gone…
Anyway. It didn’t really bother anyone here, as the cake itself is still quite sweet, but it’s not a nice experience when it happens, of course. There are certainly some people who are a little sensitive for something like that, I assume. If you want to make sure to get a non-bitter experience, you should use mandarin oranges from a can. Those mandarins are treated (chemically) and all white parts and membranes between the pulp has been removed. You only get the sweet parts of the fruit there.
If you love mandarin oranges and want to use them in even more cake recipes, you should definitely take a look at these two classics: A simple Mandarin Orange Sour Cream Cake is a staple in our house, loved by everyone. For the reasons mentioned above, canned mandarins are probably used in 99% of recipes for this type of cake, and so did we. Or what about a Classic German Quark Cream Cake with Mandarin Oranges? That one is also made with canned mandarins, but would probably also work with fresh ones… in case you want to do all the peeling and cleaning yourself. ;P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the streusels:
3/4 cup (100g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
1/4 cup (60g) butter, at room temperature
For the cake batter:
1/2 cup (120g) butter (or margarine), at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 organic lemon, zest
3 medium eggs
1 1/2 cups (200g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch of salt
2 tbsp. milk (or plant-based alternative)
5-6 fresh mandarin oranges (approx. 12.3 oz./350g)
alternatively canned mandarin oranges, very well drained
Für die Streusel:
100g Mehl (Type 405)
50g Zucker
60g weiche Butter
Für den Teig:
120g weiche Butter (oder Margarine)
100g Zucker
1 TL Vanille Extrakt
1 Bio-Zitrone, Abrieb
3 Eier (M)
200g Mehl (Type 405)
2 TL Backpulver
1 Prise Salz
2 EL Milch (oder pflanzliche Alternative)
5-6 frische Mandarinen (etwa 350g)
alternativ Mandarinen aus der Dose, sehr gut abgetropft
Backform Umrechner
Dir fehlt die passende Backform für ein Rezept? Kein Problem, mit diesem kleinen Rechner kannst du dir die Zutatenmengen umrechnen lassen!
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Combine flour and sugar for the streusels in a bowl. Add the butter in small pieces and rub everything between your fingers to create different-sized streusels. Place in the fridge until needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 9.5-inch (24cm) round springform tin with baking parchment and set aside. Peel the mandarin oranges and remove any white residue from the skin of the mandarins.
3. Add the butter (or margarine), sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs separately and mix well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt – add together with the milk to the bowl and mix until just combined. Transfer about 1/3 of the batter to the springform tin and spread evenly – you only require a thin layer here. Place the mandarin oranges (about 2-3 slices still connected) evenly distributed on the batter, then cover them with the remaining batter. Smooth out the top and sprinkle the streusels on top. Bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Take the cake out of the oven and let cool down completely on a wire rack.
Note: The white remains of the peel and the membranes around the flesh of the mandarin oranges can become slightly bitter during baking. If you are sensitive to this, use mandarin oranges from a can instead of the fresh ones (drain them well before using them).
1. Mehl und Zucker für die Streusel in einer Schüssel vermischen. Die weiche Butter in kleinen Stücken dazugeben und dann alles zwischen den Fingern zerreiben, bis unterschiedlich große Streusel entstehen – bis zur weiteren Verwendung in den Kühlschrank stellen.
2. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Unter-/Oberhitze vorheizen. Eine 24cm Springform mit Backpapier auslegen und zur Seite stellen. Die Mandarinen schälen und möglichst alle weißen Rückstände an den Mandarinen entfernen.
3. Weiche Butter (oder Margarine), Zucker, Vanille Extrakt und Abrieb der Zitrone in einer großen Schüssel hell und luftig aufschlagen. Die Eier einzeln dazugeben und jeweils gut unterrühren. Mehl mit Backpulver und Salz vermischen, dann zusammen mit der Milch in die Schüssel dazugeben und nur kurz unterrühren. Etwa 1/3 des Teiges in die Springform geben und verstreichen – das muss nur eine dünne Schicht auf dem Boden sein. Die Mandarinen (immer 2-3 Mandarinenspalten zusammen) auf dem Teig verteilen und dann den restlichen Teig darüber geben und glatt streichen. Die Streusel auf dem Teig verteilen und den Kuchen dann etwa 40-45 Minuten im vorgeheizten Ofen backen. Mit einem Holzstäbchen testen, ob noch Teig kleben bleibt und den Kuchen erst herausholen, wenn dieser sauber herauskommt. Aus dem Ofen holen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett abkühlen lassen.
Hinweis: Die weißen Reste der Schale und die Hüllen um das Fruchtfleisch der Mandarinen können durch das Backen bitter werden. Wer hier etwas empfindlich ist, sollte statt der frischen Mandarinen lieber Mandarinen aus der Dose verwenden und diese sehr gut abtropfen lassen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Mandarin Oranges Streusel Cake
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 00:45
- Total Time: 02:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This simple and easy Mandarin Oranges Streusel Cake is a great cake for winter and spring. Great with fresh or canned mandarin oranges!
Ingredients
For the streusels:
3/4 cup (100g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
1/4 cup (60g) butter, at room temperature
For the cake batter:
1/2 cup (120g) butter (or margarine), at room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 organic lemon, zest
3 medium eggs
1 1/2 cups (200g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch of salt
2 tbsp. milk (or plant-based alternative)
5–6 fresh mandarin oranges (approx. 12.3 oz./350g)
alternatively canned mandarin oranges, very well drained
Instructions
1. Combine flour and sugar for the streusels in a bowl. Add the butter in small pieces and rub everything between your fingers to create different-sized streusels. Place in the fridge until needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 9.5-inch (24cm) round springform tin with baking parchment and set aside. Peel the mandarin oranges and remove any white residue from the skin of the mandarins.
3. Add the butter (or margarine), sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs separately and mix well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt – add together with the milk to the bowl and mix until just combined. Transfer about 1/3 of the batter to the springform tin and spread evenly – you only require a thin layer here. Place the mandarin oranges (about 2-3 slices still connected) evenly distributed on the batter, then cover them with the remaining batter. Smooth out the top and sprinkle the streusels on top. Bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Take the cake out of the oven and let cool down completely on a wire rack.
Notes
The white remains of the peel and the membranes around the flesh of the mandarin oranges can become slightly bitter during baking. If you are sensitive to this, use mandarin oranges from a can instead of the fresh ones (drain them well before using them).
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
