Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan- forced). Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin pan & line the bases with baking paper rounds.

Combine poppy seeds & milk in small bowl; stand for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat butter, rind & sugar with electric mixer until light & fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined between additions.

Stir in sifted flour, almond meal, juice & poppy seed mixture.

Place 1/4 cup of mixture into each prepared hole; smooth surface with metal spatula.

Bake cakes in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Meanwhile to make the sticky mandarin topping, place the sugar, water & vanilla bean in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the mandarin juice, zest & simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove cakes from oven & while cakes are still hot prick the top all over with a skewer.

Drizzle the mandarin syrup over the cakes. Allow the cakes to cool slightly before serving with cream.