Spiced tangerine semolina cake recipe

Ingredients

• 10 golf ball–size (375 g) whole Kishu tangerines
• Unsalted butter, for greasing
• ¾ cup (72 g) almond flour
• ¾ cup (125 g) coarse semolina flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 large eggs
• 1¼ cups (250 g) sugar

• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 1 piece star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons orange blossom water

• 2 large Cara Cara oranges, segmented
• 3 Kishu tangerines, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch-thick circles

Make the Cake
1. Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Place the tangerines in a large saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer the tangerines to the ice bath.
2. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round springform pan and line with parchment paper.
3. Drain the tangerines. Cut each in half and remove any seeds. Transfer the fruit to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process the tangerines into a moderately smooth puree.
4. Transfer the fruit puree to a large mixing bowl.
5. Combine the almond flour, semolina, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk them together and set aside.
6. Add the eggs and sugar to the food processor and process until very frothy, about 5 minutes.
7. Add the egg mixture to the pureed tangerines and fold in until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing just until combined after each addition.
8. Transfer the batter to the prepared springform pan and bake for 30 minutes without opening the oven door. Rotate the cake and continue baking for about 10 minutes more, until the center of the cake is bouncy but set when tapped gently with a finger and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack.
While the Cake cools, Make the Spiced Syrup
9. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, star anise, and cinnamon stick with ¼ cup (59 ml) water over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves completely, about 5 minutes. Remove the syrup from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Add the orange blossom water. Discard the anise and cinnamon stick.
To Assemble
10. Remove the cake from the pan and invert the cake onto a serving platter. Use a fork to poke a bunch of holes in the surface of the cake. Pour the spiced orange blossom syrup over the cake, soaking it. Arrange the citrus segments and slices on top and serve. This cake keeps well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.