cake – Page 4 – TasteFood

cake, Desserts, Food Blog Events, Fruit, GYO

In Season: Blood Orange and Olive Oil Cake

March 31, 2010August 4, 2014by Lynda Balslev9 Comments

Blood oranges are in season in California. I never know if I should eat them or just look at them. Beautifully mottled in crimson on the outside, and strikingly hued in magenta, orange and burgundy within, they are a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Native to Sicily, these orange gems have found their way around the world to eager consumers. In the US they grow from December to May, and now is the time to indulge in these citrus wonders. Tart and sweet with a hint of raspberry, their unique flavor complements sweet and savory dishes.

This week we have been in blood orange heaven. I received 2 brimming bags of blood oranges from a friend who has a grove of citrus trees on her property. It’s all she can do to harvest all of her fruit, and is always looking for takers. How could I say no? Aside from eating the fruit straight up and juiced, blood oranges have found their way into salads, salsas, sauces and dressings in our meals of late. Yesterday I made a Blood Orange and Olive Oil Cake, not only with the citrus from my friend’s property, but with the olive oil her family makes from their olive trees. With all this homegrown love, I immediately thought of GYO: Grow Your Own, the foodblogging event created by Andrea’s Recipes and hosted this month by House of Annie. This is my contribution: Happy Spring!

Blood Orange and Olive Oil Cake

Makes one loaf

Finely grated zest of two blood oranges
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup fruity olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C. Butter a loaf pan. Add zest to sugar in a large bowl and mix well to incorporate. Stir in buttermilk and juice. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Stir in vanilla.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a separate bowl. Whisk into eggs. Fold in olive oil a little at a time. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until golden on top and center of a knife comes clean when inserted in the middle, about 1 hour. Remove and cool on rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. The flavors will develop if the cake can sit for several hours or overnight.

Baking, cake, Desserts, Fruit

Ginger Pear Streusel Cake

February 28, 2010January 8, 2019by Lynda Balslev9 Comments

Come in from the cold and enjoy some cake. This coffee cake is perfect for a winter afternoon pick-me-up. Spiced with ginger and not overly sweet, this cake is light enough to enjoy for breakfast, tea or dessert. While it’s delicious straight from the oven, the ginger flavor will intensify nicely as the cake cools – that is, if you can wait that long.

Pear and Ginger Streusel Cake

Makes one (8-inch) cake; serves 6 to 8

For the streusel topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped crystalized ginger
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, in small pieces

For the cake:
2 firm pears, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch spring-form pan lined with parchment paper and butter the parchment.
2. Make the streusel: Combine the flour, sugar, gingers, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is pea-sized.
3. Toss the pears with the lemon juice in a small bowl.
4. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
5. Cream the sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix to blend. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined without over-mixing. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Arrange the pears in a concentric pattern over the batter and spread the streusel evenly over the pears.
6. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a rack. Run a knife around the sides of the cake and release the sides of the pan. Cool the cake and serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The cake may be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

chocolate, Desserts, gluten-free

Sinfully Rich Flourless Chocolate Cake

February 12, 2010August 1, 2014by Lynda Balslev7 Comments

Short of intravenous therapy, flourless chocolate cake is one of the most intense forms of chocolate consumption you will experience. This decadent cake consists of dark high-quality chocolate held together with butter and eggs, resulting in a dense truffle-like torte. The beauty of the cake lies in the quality its few ingredients. Choose a dark (70-75%) chocolate such as Valrhona or Lindt and a good European-style butter such as Plugra or Lurpak. You will be rewarded with a rich and dreamy chocolate experience, that will leave your tastebuds swooning.

Rich Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Coulis

Serves 12

For the cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, cut in pieces
12 ounces dark chocolate, broken in pieces
1 cup granulated/caster sugar
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the coulis:
16 ounces frozen raspberries
1/2 cup sugar

Whipped cream

To make cake:
Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.)
Butter a 9 inch springform pan. Line with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper. Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Whisk sugar and eggs together in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla. Add chocolate and stir to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until set and top begins to crack, about 45 minutes. (The center will still be moist.) Cool cake completely on rack. Remove pan side. (Can be made one day in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)

For coulis:
Stir frozen raspberries and sugar in pan over medium-low heat until raspberries thaw and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Pass raspberries through fine-meshed sieve to separate seeds from coulis. Discard seeds. (Coulis may be made one day in advance. Store in airtight container and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
To assemble, place cake on a large plate and sprinkle with sifted icing sugar. Serve with raspberry coulis and whipped cream.

cake, Desserts, Fruit

Banana Cake

October 17, 2009July 30, 2014by Lynda Balslev7 Comments

Tried and true, a banana cake (or bread, depending on your perspective) has figured prominently in our home as a baked treat. The kids love it, as do the adults, and in every country we have lived, bananas have been readily available in the markets. I have made variations over the years, adding wheat germ and oats for added fiber and nutrients, coconut for a tropical twist, even chocolate for those cravings of, well, chocolate. This recipe is the base recipe I rely on and come back to time and again. It’s moist, not overly sweet, and keeps in the refrigerator for 4 days. Actually, that’s a guess, because it never lasts that long.

Banana Cake
Makes one loaf

3/4 cup (150 g.) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (150 g.) light brown sugar
3 eggs
3 very ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
1/3 cup (80 ml.) sour cream or Greek-style whole milk yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups (220 g.) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.)
Butter a loaf pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
Beat butter and sugar until they are light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add to bananas and stir to combine well. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in oven until knife comes clean, about one hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan.

Try these variations:

Tropical Twist: Add 1/2 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut to dry ingredients. Sprinkle additional tablespoon coconut on top of cake before baking.

More Fiber: Reduce flour to 1 3/4 cups. Add 1/2 cup oats and 2 tablespoons wheat germ to dry ingredients.

Chocolate Boost: Add 1 cup dark chocolate chips to batter before pouring into loaf pan.

Desserts

Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

August 9, 2009July 30, 2014by Lynda Balslev5 Comments

Blueberries are nature’s candy. Sweet, tart, firm to the bite, they are easy fast food, fun to pop straight in the mouth. Yet the comparison to candy stops there, as blueberries are also a nutritional treasure chest. Rich in Vitamins A, C and E as well as beta-carotene, manganese and fiber, blueberries are an anti-oxidant powerhouse, providing more anti-oxidants than many fruits and vegetables. That’s a lot of nutritional punch for a little dark berry.

Blueberries are delicious eaten just as they are, or sprinkled over yogurt or ice cream. Grab a handful and add to cereal, pancake batter or smoothies. Or, better yet, use a whole pint or two in a tart or pie: they will cook down into a silky, rich, inky-blue filling guaranteed to bring you back for seconds. Blueberries are especially satisfying to bake with, because they are not overly sweet, and their tartness and firm texture add a nice foil to sweet pastries, cakes and breads. This Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake takes the traditional sweet pound cake and adds mildly tart blueberries and bright, citrus-y lemon zest for a deliciously fresh tea cake.

Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

Makes 1 loaf

3 eggs
1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups blueberries

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.)
Lightly butter a loaf pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Butter and flour parchment. Combine eggs, yogurt and vanilla in a medium bowl. Lightly whisk to combine. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix one minute at low speed to combine. Add butter and half of the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Mix at high speed for one minute. Add remaining egg mixture in 2 batches, mixing 30 seconds after each addition. Batter should be light and fluffy. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Remove from oven and run sharp knife around edges of cake. Let rest 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack and cool completely.