Mandarin-lemon cake

A very pleasant, seasonal cake. It only called for mandarins but I had to use lemons as well.
Mandarins have a tendency to go bad before I know it. They are in season, so they are ripe when picked and good to eat when bought. I can take them or leave them. Every time I eat one, I think: what can I eat next? They make me cold. Maybe if I lived in Napoli, things would be different. But for baking, they are perfect. I have a taste of the season and a satisfying snack.

The recipe is basic and fast. I baked the cake on Thursday evening. I took me longer to prepare carrots for juicing than to make this cake. I do take out and measure out all the ingredients before I turn the mixer on. The process is smoother this way.

Hania and I, we are finishing up the cake at this moment, our second breakfast on Saturday morning. It's moist, delicate, citrusy a bit, just enough. Simple but not plain, Italian. And I love endless breakfasts!

Recipe adapted from Giallo Zafferano

time: 15 min preparation + 45 min baking + 15 min cooling = 1h 15min

ingredients

4 mandarins, or 1 mandarin and 2 lemons like I did
150 g (10 Tablespoons) butter
180 g (1 1/4 cup) flour
50 g (6 Tablespoons) potato starch/flour
8 g (2 teaspoons) baking powder
3 eggs
160 g (3/4 cups) sugar

directions
Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 355 F. Butter and flour (extra butter and flour) 30/11cm (12/4.5 inch) loaf form. Melt butter on very low heat or in the water bath. Set it aside let it cool.

Wash the mandarins well. Prepare the zest from 4 fruits. Set it aside. Make and strain 100 ml (less then 1/2 cup) of mandarin juice. 

Sift flours and baking powder together in a small bowl. 

In a mixing bowl, mix the eggs with sugar till foamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Slowly add melted butter when mixing. Gradually, add the juice then the flour mix and the zest. Incorporate all well without overdoing it, about 1 minute.

Pour the batter into the prepared form. Place it into the hot oven for 45 minutes or a bit less. Check if the toothpick comes out clean from the middle of the cake. Take the cake out of the oven. Let it cool in the form for about 15 minutes. Take it out of the form, let it cool some more. I think the cake tastes better the next day.