Mandarin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This beautiful made from scratch Mandarin Orange Cake is easy to make, especially with the help of little hands. It's a fresh twist on an old classic - made without Cool Whip or cake mix like the Southern version of this recipe, often referred to as a Pig Pickin' Cake. Whatever you want to call it, it's just a fresh, flavourful, beautiful cake with a complimentary cream cheese frosting.

Mandarin Orange Cake:
1 cup butter, softened
1½ cups Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Granular)
8 egg yolks
1⅓ cups Mandarin oranges, crushed, reserve juices
1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
¾ cup milk
2 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:
7 oz cream cheese (200 g)
3 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp. Mandarin juice, freshly squeezed
Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Powdered) (75 g)

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease and flour 2 (8") round pans and set aside.

For the Cake:
In a large bowl/mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, oranges, milk and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift cake flour, baking powder and salt together.

Gradually incorporate into wet mixture alternating with milk until just incorporated.

Pour into baking pans and bake 25-28 minutes when cake springs back after being touched. Allow to cool 20 minutes before turning onto rack or pedestal.

For the Frosting:
To prepare the frosting, beat together all the ingredients mentioned for frosting until soft and smooth.

When the Orange cake has cooled completely, release it from the springform tin and place it on a cake plate or tray.

Frost the cake as you wish by slathering the cream cheese topping on it. Then, place it in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

You can garnish with orange slices and mint or rosemary leaves.

To Store:
Cover and store refrigerated, ensuring any exposed cake is covered in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. You can also freeze Mandarin Orange Cake for up to 30 days covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 383kcal (19%), Carbohydrates: 42g (14%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fat: 23g (35%), Saturated Fat: 14g (70%), Cholesterol: 151mg (50%), Sodium: 208mg (9%), Potassium: 166mg (5%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 29g (32%), Vitamin A: 950IU (19%), Vitamin C: 16.1mg (20%), Calcium: 77mg (8%), Iron: 0.5mg (3%)