I absolutely love this recipe because the combination of honey and tangerine gives the cake a fresh, zesty sweetness that’s simply irresistible. Plus, the moist texture from the sour cream and the crunchy walnuts create a delightful contrast that makes every bite a real treat.
Tangerine Honey Walnut Cake has a delightful combination of flavors. Honey and tangerine zest can’t be beat in the flavor department.
The tangerine zest gives the cake an amazing, bright aroma. You get the flavor of the zest without the bitterness of the pith.
This is a cake you can feel good about because it’s delicious and chock-full of good-for-you ingredients.
Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour: Supplies structure and has carbohydrates for energy.
Moisture and richness come from the butter, and it also contributes to a tender crumb.
Cane Sugar: The cake’s sweetness, helps with achieving the desired level of browning and the contrasting sugar crystals add a lovely crunch to the crust.
Eggs serve several purposes in cooking.
They are essential for binding ingredients together; they provide the crucial building blocks for the proteins of a dish; and they impart richness and flavor.
Natural sweeteners like honey not only add sweetness to a dish but also provide levels of moisture and aromatic flavor compounds.
Citrus Flavo r and Aroma: Brought to you by tangerine zest.
Tangerine juice, freshly squeezed: Provides sharpness, boosts the taste of citrus fruit, despite tangerines being somewhat milder in flavor than other citrus fruits.
Walnuts: Contribute to crunchiness; are healthful sources of fats and proteins.
Sour cream: Adds something more than just moisture to this cake; gives it a richness and a slightly tangy quality that you’d miss if it were left out.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon tangerine zest
- 1/3 cup fresh tangerine juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
1. Warm your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 9-inch round cake pan by greasing it.
2. A bowl of medium size holds together these ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisking them together will accomplish two things. First, it will combine the ingredients, which is essential if these ingredients are to work together in the final product. Second, and equally important, it will aerate the mixture.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the granulated sugar and softened butter until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Incorporate the honey, tangerine zest, tangerine juice, and vanilla extract into the mixture until everything is fully integrated.
6. The dry ingredients should be added to the wet mixture in a slow and steady manner, while also ensuring that the sour cream is not added all at once. When adding the sour cream, do so in a manner that maintains the integrity of the wet mixture. Begin and end the whole process with the dry ingredients. Upon completion, what you should have is a batter that is mixed well enough to be combined but not so well mixed that it no longer has a batter-like texture.
7. Walnuts that have been finely chopped should be gently folded into the mixture.
8. The prepared cake pan holds the batter, which is being poured in. The top is then smoothed.
9. Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven
2. 9-inch round cake pan
3. Pastry brush or paper towel (for greasing)
4. Medium-sized bowl
5. Large mixing bowl
6. Whisk
7. Electric mixer or hand mixer
8. Measuring cups
9. Measuring spoons
10. Spatula
11. Rubber spatula (for folding in walnuts)
12. Cooling rack
13. Toothpick
FAQ
- Q: Can I substitute walnuts with another type of nut?Pecans or almonds would be excellent substitutes.
- Q: Can I use margarine instead of butter?Margarine can be substituted for butter, when necessary, but it doesn’t provide the best flavor.
- Q: How do I store the cake after baking?A: You can keep the cake at room temperature in a sealed container for 3 days or in the fridge for 7 days.
- Q: Is there a way to make this cake dairy-free?A: Dairy-free butter works well, and sour cream can be replaced with a yogurt that is free from dairy.
- Q: Can I use orange zest and juice instead of tangerine?Sure, you can use orange, although the taste will vary somewhat. But it’ll still be quite good!
- Q: Is it possible to make this cake gluten-free?Use a flour mixture that is gluten-free and made for baking in place of the all-purpose flour.
Substitutions and Variations
All-purpose flour: For a heartier-textured cake, substitute with 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour. For a gluten-free cake, use an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Butter without salt: Replace with a dairy-free 1/2 cup of coconut oil or 1/2 cup of margarine.
Sugar, granulated: For a different flavor profile, replace with 3/4 cup of coconut sugar or 3/4 cup of brown sugar.
Honey: For a different sweetener choice, substitute 1/2 cup of maple syrup or agave nectar.
Sour cream: Substitute with 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or 1/2 cup buttermilk to keep your baked goods tender and moist.
Pro Tips
1. Room Temperature Ingredients: Before you start, ensure your eggs, butter, and sour cream are at room temperature. This helps them blend more smoothly into the batter, resulting in a more even texture and better rise.
2. Properly Zest the Tangerine: When zesting the tangerine, make sure to only zest the outermost layer of the peel, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. This will ensure the zest adds a fresh, aromatic flavor to the cake.
3. Don’t Overmix the Batter: When combining the dry ingredients with the wet, mix just until combined. Overmixing can develop gluten in the flour, leading to a dense cake instead of a light and fluffy one.
4. Toasting Walnuts: For enhanced flavor and crunch, consider toasting the walnuts before chopping them and adding them to the batter. Toast in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant, then let them cool before chopping.
5. Check for Doneness: Instead of relying solely on time, start checking the cake for doneness a few minutes early. Insert a toothpick into the center; if it comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, the cake is done. Baking times can vary slightly depending on your oven.
Tangerine Honey Walnut Cake Recipe
My favorite Tangerine Honey Walnut Cake Recipe
Equipment Needed:
1. Oven
2. 9-inch round cake pan
3. Pastry brush or paper towel (for greasing)
4. Medium-sized bowl
5. Large mixing bowl
6. Whisk
7. Electric mixer or hand mixer
8. Measuring cups
9. Measuring spoons
10. Spatula
11. Rubber spatula (for folding in walnuts)
12. Cooling rack
13. Toothpick
Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon tangerine zest
- 1/3 cup fresh tangerine juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions:
1. Warm your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 9-inch round cake pan by greasing it.
2. A bowl of medium size holds together these ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisking them together will accomplish two things. First, it will combine the ingredients, which is essential if these ingredients are to work together in the final product. Second, and equally important, it will aerate the mixture.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the granulated sugar and softened butter until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Incorporate the honey, tangerine zest, tangerine juice, and vanilla extract into the mixture until everything is fully integrated.
6. The dry ingredients should be added to the wet mixture in a slow and steady manner, while also ensuring that the sour cream is not added all at once. When adding the sour cream, do so in a manner that maintains the integrity of the wet mixture. Begin and end the whole process with the dry ingredients. Upon completion, what you should have is a batter that is mixed well enough to be combined but not so well mixed that it no longer has a batter-like texture.
7. Walnuts that have been finely chopped should be gently folded into the mixture.
8. The prepared cake pan holds the batter, which is being poured in. The top is then smoothed.
9. Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
