1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
270g (1¼ cups) caster sugar
3 mandarins, rind finely grated, juiced
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3 eggs
55g (½ cup) almond meal
225ml buttermilk
5 teaspoons matcha powder
Mandarin zest, sugared, to serve (optional, see tip)
Icing
210g (1⅓ cups) icing sugar mixture, sifted
1 mandarin, rind finely grated, juiced
Method
1 Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Grease a 26cm (top measurement) non-stick bundt pan with butter. Sift flour, baking powder and bicarb soda into a large bowl.
2 Use electric beaters to beat the butter, sugar, rind, ginger and vanilla in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add 1 egg and 1 tablespoon flour mixture. Beat until combined. Beat in remaining eggs, 1 at a time, alternating with tablespoonfuls of the flour mixture. Add almond meal, half the buttermilk, half the remaining flour mixture and 1 1⁄2 tablespoons juice. Beat on low speed until just combined. Add remaining buttermilk and flour mixture and another 1 1⁄2 tablespoons juice. Beat on low speed until just combined.
3 Divide the batter equally between 2 bowls. Stir the matcha into 1 bowl. Spoon the batters, in random spoonfuls, into the prepared pan. Use a butter knife to create a swirled effect. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
4 For the icing, whisk the sugar, rind and juice in a large bowl until smooth. Stand for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
5 Drizzle icing over cake. Sprinkle with zest if using.
Tip: • For sugared mandarin zest, stir 1⁄4 cup caster sugar into 1⁄2 cup water over low heat until dissolved.
• Add zest of 2 mandarins. Simmer until soft. Transfer to a lined plate to cool. Toss in caster sugar to coat.
• Matcha powder is available in the health food section of you supermarket.
Photography: Strecker & Dahl Recipes and Styling: Katrina Woodman
Food preparation: Jo-Anne Woodman Art Direction and Styling: Anne Marie Cummins
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