Cardamom, almond and mandarin cake

Ingredients

1. 140 g olive oil
2. 150 g brown sugar
3. 1 tbsp ground cardamom
4. 2 mandarins, peel and juice
5. 3 eggs
6. 250 g almond flour
7. 100 g wheat or rice flour
8. 1 tbsp baking powder

In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar and cardamom powder. You can use either a hand or electric whisk. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Grate the mandarin peel, extract the juice and add it to the mixture. Finally, add the flour and baking powder, and combine all the ingredients together. Pre-heat the oven to 170º C, place the mixture into an oiled baking tin and bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Bergamot icing glaze

1. ½ bergamot juice
2. 200 g icing sugar
3. 1 egg white

Method

Place the mandarin and bergamot juices in a bowl, together with ⅓ of the icing sugar and the egg white.Using an electric whisk, gradually add the rest of the icing sugar until the mixture thickens and turns white and shiny.

Toppings

1. 2 bergamot peel
2. 1 mandarin, sliced
3. 200 g sugar
4. 200 g water
5. 5 cardamom seeds

Method

Wash the mandarins and bergamot in water. Remove the bergamot peel, and cut the mandarin into slices.Place the water and sugar in a pot, add the cardamom seeds and bring to boil over medium heat. Then lower the heat to minimum, add the bergamot and mandarin peels and cook for 40 minutes, until the mixture has reduced and the skins are shiny.Remove the peels with tongs and leave to dry on a sheet of baking paper.

Now you have everything ready. Spread the icing over the cake and decorate with the cardamom seeds, the bergamot and mandarin peel, and spearmint leaves. Best enjoyed on a cold winter evening along with a hot cup of spearmint tea.