A farmer’s cheese dough without any rising, a thick pudding mixed with sour cream, and four cans of mandarin oranges. After baking, this mandarin sour cream cake is topped with a lemon glaze and sprinkled with almonds.
The recipe comes from Germany, where it is called Mandarinen-Schmand-Kuchen. The author recommends it for fall and winter. You roll the dough out right in the pan.
Ingredients
(US cups, with grams in brackets)
For the dough
- 2 1/3 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (125 g) farmer’s cheese (or well-drained ricotta)
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (100 ml) milk
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (100 ml) neutral oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
For the filling
- 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons (750 ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (74 g) vanilla pudding powder (cook-and-serve mix, not instant)
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 cups (500 g) full-fat sour cream (30% fat; crème fraîche or Schmand also works)
- 4 small cans mandarin oranges, drained (about 6 oz / 175 g drained each)
For the glaze
- 1 2/3 cups (200 g) powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (50 g) slivered almonds
Instructions
- Let the mandarins drain well. Put the flour, sugar, farmer’s cheese, salt and baking powder in a bowl, add the milk and oil, and work into a dough.
- Line a 13×11-inch (33×29 cm) baking pan with parchment paper. Roll or press the dough out in the pan.
- Pour a little of the 750 ml (3 cups plus 2 tablespoons) milk into a glass and stir the pudding powder into it. Bring the remaining milk with the sugar to a boil in a pot.
- Stir in the dissolved pudding mixture and keep stirring until it thickens. Transfer the pudding to a bowl.
- Stir the sour cream into the pudding until smooth. Pour the cream over the dough and spread it evenly.
- Arrange the mandarins on top of the cream. Bake the cake in an oven heated to 320°F (160°C) convection for 40 minutes.
- Stir the lemon juice into the powdered sugar. Pour the glaze over the baked cake and sprinkle it with the slivered almonds. Cut when the glaze has set.
Video Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What size pan should I use?
The pan in the video measures 13×11 inches (33×29 cm). The cake bakes at 320°F (160°C) convection for 40 minutes.
What kind of sour cream works?
The author uses sour cream with 30% fat, 500 g (2 1/4 cups) in total. US sour cream is usually 18–20% fat, so look for a full-fat sour cream or use crème fraîche.
The recipe is based on a version by Einfache Rezepte, adapted by the We Cook With Love team.
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