When the cake is nearly eaten before you can get a photo - you know you’ve made a winner. Consider your spring and Easter dessert now decided on. This cheery Mandarin Orange Cake with the Orange Glaze will be the highlight of any Easter Brunch or Dinner! Oh sure you can eat it for breakfast, but we won’t be shy in calling it a cake. The best bit about the recipe is that it is so big you can make 2 cakes. One bundt and one single layer 9 inch spring form, or 2 of each! We like the single layer style cakes because once you coat it in the glaze it makes for the perfect cut slices that stay so light fluffy and moist! Cheers to baking up the yummiest of Spring Desserts.

Want even more hosting and menu help? Check out our Cookbook, Dinner Changes Everything. The Roast Dinner would be a divine menu to serve for Easter. Or go wild and serve the Thai Inspired Dinner with fresh spring flavors. However you fill your table, we’re here to encourage you to do so with joy. Because gathering is much more about spending time toether, than about cooking, baking or even setting your table perfectly! Read more about how we started filling out table with out community here.

Mandarin Orange Cake with Orange Glaze

CAKE INGREDIENTS

2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 mandarin orange, zested + juiced
3 eggs
1 ⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt

GLAZE

6 mandarin oranges zested, then juiced
3 cups powdered sugar

**this recipe works well with gluten free flour substitute. Sub 2 3/4 gluten free flour

TO MAKE :

This makes enough batter for 2 cakes! Preheat your oven to 350° and lightly grease and flour 1 bundt pan and 1 (9 inch) cake pan or spring form pan. Or any combination of these.

In a large bowl start with just your sugar. Then zest in as much deep orange rind as you can from your mandarin orange, muddle this into the sugar. Click Here to watch a quick tutorial from Kelly! Then squeeze the mandarin juice in. Add in the eggs, and oil and beat on high for 2 minutes. The mixture will get light and fluffy. Fold in the milk and vanilla extract. Beat again on Low to fully incorporate.

Sift the baking powder into the flour, add in the salt and then add this dry mixture to the wet and beat on medium speed for a minute. Once fully incorporated add in the zest from 1 mandarin orange, plus the juice. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Don’t be fooled by the thinness of the batter, it rises and turns out so light, fluffy and decadent!

Glaze :

Start by zesting all 6 mandarin oranges into the 3 cups of powdered sugar. Then squeeze the juice. Using a fork, whisk the juice and zest into the powdered sugar until smooth.

Place the cakes on cooling racks, then put the rack over a baking sheet. Once the cake has cooled, pour the glaze over the top allowing it to spread and drip off the sides. Scrape the glaze that drizzled off back into your main bowl and repeat, pouring the glaze over the top of the cakes again to cover any parts that were missed. Repeat again and coat the cakes for a third time with any remaining glaze.

Transfer to cake plates, cover and serve when ready! The glaze keeps the cake quite fresh for several days so feel free to make it ahead of time to make the day of hosting much easier.

Want even more delicious treat recipes? Check out our Ecookbook filled with our family favories.