Mandarin and Elderflower Cake with Passionfruit Curd and Creme Fraiche and Topped with Crumbled Meringue

This cake is featured on my menu and is gluten free. However, it is natural and uses ground almond instead of a gluten free flour mix. You could also use 2 oranges instead of  mandarins if your not too keen on mandarins!

Mandarin, Elderflower and Almond Cake (GF)

adapted from petite kitchen

4 mandarins

200g ground almonds

5 eggs

5 heaped tbsp honey

1 tsp gluten free baking soda

pinch salt

1/4 cup elderflower cordial

Place whole oranges in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 1 hour. Drain and then allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 150°C and grease a cake tin with coconut oil.Cut the oranges in half and place in to a food processor (skin pith, flesh and all). Blend until smooth. Add the remaining cake ingredients and blend again until smooth.Pour mixture in to the prepared cake tin. Bake for 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted and the top feels firm (it will firm up more when it cools, also if it gets to brown on top too early, place a layer of tin foil on top of the cake and return to the oven to cook fully). As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, evenly pour over the elderflower cordial and leave to cool completely in the tin. Turn out onto a wire rack and if you want to, slice the cake into layers or just leave as one whole cake. set aside. 

Lemon and Passionfruit curd

Zest and juice of 4 large lemons

pulp from 2 passion fruits

225g castor sugar

125 g butter

4 eggs, lightly beaten

For the curd, place the juice and zest, passion fruit pulp, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan and place over a medium heat until the butter has melted. Whisk in the eggs and stir constantly over a medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until it has thickened  Make sure you stir it at all times else the eggs will cook and it will curdle. Pour into sterilized jars and set aside. 

To fill the cake 

170g creme fraiche 

1 cup of the lemon and passionfruit curd  

Optional: 2 meringues, crushed (I made mine from this recipe, except I quartered the recipe) 

 

Mix together the Creme fraiche and curd until smooth. Spread on top the the cooled cake, or if using layers spread in between each layer as well as on top. Top with the crumbled meringue and any other toppings of your choice (I used flaked almonds, freeze dried fruits, chopped pistachios and gold sprinkles). 

(this cake was for an order but the others above I made for home)