Sweet Tangerine Cake

  • Yield: 8 servings
  • Prep: 1 hour 35 minutes

Tangerines are sweeter than oranges, with a more concentrated flavor in both the juice and the zest. Serve this single-layer cake with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar or a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Ingredients

1 1/2cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 1/2teaspoons baking powder
1/2teaspoon salt
12tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1cup sugar
1cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
3 eggs
2teaspoons grated tangerine or orange zest
1/2cup freshly squeezed tangerine or orange juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan, tapping out the excess flour, and line the bottom with parchment paper, or butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer with a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the zest. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add one-third of the flour mixture and half of the juice, scraping the sides down as necessary; repeat once more, ending with the flour mixture (do not overmix). Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
  4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. If using a cake pan, invert the cake onto a plate, remove the parchment, and invert again to serve top side up. For the springform pan, remove the ring and use a spatula to slide the cake onto a plate. Let cool completely before dusting with confectioners’ sugar.

Cook’s Tip: Always be careful not to overmix cake batter once the flour is added, as doing so will strengthen the glutens in the flour and result in a tough cake.

—Reprinted with permission from Sara Quessenberry’s and Suzanne Schlosberg’s The Good Neighbor Cookbook (Andrews McMeel Publishing).