Steps

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and flour a cake pan (10 inches) and set aside.

  Wash the mandarins well, cut the fruits in half first, removing the central white part and seeds, then cut each half into 2 parts to get 4 pieces for each fruit.

  

• Mix the flour, potato starch, and baking powder in a bowl, and sift them.

  

• In a mixer, put the almonds and 1 cup of sugar or 1/2 cup of sweetener, grind until a flour is obtained, place it in a bowl and set aside.

  

• Now in a larger bowl mix the grated lemon peel and the remaining sugar or sweetener with a spatula. Add the butter and beat with an electric whisk for about 3 minutes. Add the eggs to the butter and continue to whisk for another 5 minutes

  

• Now that the eggs are whipped, add the ground almonds and sugar/sweetener,

  

• and the mixture of powders and mix: 2 minutes.
  

  

• Pour in the lemon juice and mix.

  

• Until a smooth and homogeneous mixture is obtained.

  

• Transfer the mixture into the previously prepared cake pan.

  

• Bake in a hot oven for 40-50 minutes (350°F), then open the oven, cover the cake with a sheet of parchment paper and bake for another 10 minutes.
  At the end of cooking, leave the cake in the open oven for another 5 minutes before taking it out.

  

• Transfer the pieces of mandarin into a saucepan and blend the mixture with an immersion blender.

  Add the sugar or sweetener, mix and cook for 20 minutes.

  Transfer into a bowl and let cool

  

• Place the flour, potato starch, and baking powder into the bowl, mix: 10 sec./speed 3. Transfer into a bowl and set aside.

  

• Place the almonds and 1 cup of sugar or 1/2 cup of sweetener into the bowl, grind: 10 sec./speed 8. Transfer into a bowl and set aside.

  

• Without washing the bowl, place the lemon zest and remaining sugar or sweetener, and pulverize: 15 sec./speed 10. Bring down with the spatula.
  Now place the butterfly. Add the butter and beat: 2 min./speed 3.

  

• Add the eggs and beat: 5 min./speed 3.
  Now that the eggs are whipped, add the ground almonds and sugar/sweetener,

  

• and the mixture of powders and mix: 2 min./speed 4.

  

• Pour the lemon juice and mix: 1 min./speed 3.

  

• Pour the mixture into the buttered and floured pan and..

  

• Bake in a hot oven for 40-50 minutes (350°F), then open the oven, cover the cake with a sheet of parchment paper and bake for another 10 minutes.
  At the end of cooking, leave the cake in the open oven for another 5 minutes before taking it out.

  

• Meanwhile, as the cake is baking, wash the bowl and put the cut mandarins inside along with the sugar or sweetener.

  Close with the measuring cup and blend turbo 2 sec twice.

  

• Stir with the spatula, place the basket on the lid and cook 20 min at 100°F counterclockwise speed 1.

  Transfer into a bowl and let cool

  

• With a smooth, long-bladed knife, cut the cake in half and get 2 discs.

  Pour half of the mandarin mousse on the first disc.

  

• Cover with the second disc and pour the rest of the mousse. Decorate with sliced mandarins and sprinkle with powdered sugar or sweetener.