By Sophie
Another goodie from Julie Le Clerc's Favourite Cakes. It's great the way it uses whole mandarins. I added cream cheese icing and decorated it with almond praline.

6 mandarins (600g) or oranges
6 eggs
1 c sugar (I used rice malt syrup)
1 c dessicated coconut
2 c ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 160C. Grease a 22cm cake tin and lightly dust with flour. Coarsely chop mandarins, including the skin but removing any pips, and place in a saucepan with enough water to cover.
Bring to the boil then simmer until mandarin pulp is tender and liquid has mostly reduced (about 30 mins). Blend or process to a smooth puree and set aside to cool.
Whisk together eggs and sugar until thick, pale and fluffy. Fold in mandarin puree, then coconut and almond flour and baking powder.
Pour into tin and bake for 70 mins, covering with tin foil half way through to avoid over-browning.
Allow cake to cool in tin before removing.
To ice, mix 250g cream cheese with few drops lavender essence and some rice syrup to sweeten slightly.
To make praline, spread a layer of flaked almonds on a baking tray. Drizzle with coconut oil and some rice syrup. Toast in oven until crispy and golden. Break into crumbs and sprinkle over iced cake.