This preparation is designed for a 20 cm diameter mold and is made in two batches. If you have a very deep mold, pour the entire mixture into it and bake for 50 minutes, checking regularly. Once the cake has cooled, cut it halfway up.

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, egg yolks, zest and juice of 3 mandarins. Add the butter and mix well. Beat the egg whites with the white sugar and carefully add to the mixture. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture.

Butter the cake tin, add half the mixture and bake in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes. Heat the juice from the remaining mandarins in a saucepan with the powdered sugar until melted. Turn out the cake, drizzle with the syrup and leave to cool. Then bake the second half of the preparation and drizzle with syrup as well.

For the mascarpone cream:

In a bowl, combine the mascarpone, powdered sugar, mandarin orange zest and juice.

Assembly:

Place the bottom half of the cake on a platter. Pour half the mascarpone mixture over the cake, starting from the center and spreading to within 2cm of the edge. Add the top half of the cake and press lightly. Pour the remaining mascarpone mixture over the top of the cake, spread it out, then add the mandarins and sprinkle with powdered sugar.