Sicilian Orange Cake

I love this cake! It is a real treat. Lisa made this for me as my birthday cake a couple weeks ago. Very moist (thanks to the cup of olive oil), orangey, not too sweet and it has a nice crunchy edge. All you need is a good cup of coffee to go with it.  Make this!  You won't regret it. And you will make someone very happy!

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/4 cup unsweetened, unflavored almond milk

3 large eggs

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice - from the navel oranges used for zest

1/4 cup Grand Marnier or Gran Gala liqueur

Powdered sugar

Candied orange zest

For the candied orange zest - 

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
Shredded zest from 2 navel oranges

Stir the sugar and water together in a sauce pan. Heat on med high until it comes to a boil.
Add the orange zest and lower heat to med low and cook until the sugar water reduces and thickens.
Remove the pieces of zest with a fork and spread out on parchment paper to cool.

For the cake - 

Preheat the oven to 350º F. 

Oil a 9 or 10 inch by 2 inch cake pan and line the bottom with a disc of parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder together in a bowl, taking care that everything is evenly combined. 

In a second larger bowl, whisk the extra virgin olive oil, almond milk, eggs, orange zest, orange juice and orange liqueur.

Add the dry ingredients and whisk until free of any lumps and combined; but do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap pan lightly on the counter to remove any air bubbles and bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden and a tester comes out clean. 

Transfer the cake in the pan to a rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake, invert and then flip back over and place on the rack and cool completely.

Once cool, place the cake on a serving plate, dust with powdered sugar and garnish with the candied orange zest.

Blueberry and Meyer Lemon Polenta Cobbler

Lisa made this wonderful dessert based on a recipe from a book my daughter Brittany gave her for Christmas - Maxine Clark's Cobblers and Crumbles. Served with a nice big dollop of vanilla whole milk Greek yogurt. That's right!

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb fresh blueberries

1 stick plus 1 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temp

1/3 cup superfine sugar

Finely grated zest and juice of one lemon - use a Meyer lemon, if available

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup polenta or fine cornmeal

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 cup superfine sugar

large shallow ovenproof baking dish

Preheat oven to 350.

Butter the bottom of the oven proof baking dish and fill with the blueberries.

   

Cream the stick of butter, sugar and lemon zest together until pale and fluffy, then beat in the sour cream.

  

Sift the flour with the polenta, baking powder and salt and fold into the sour cream mixture.

 

Dot the blueberries with the mixture in a random manner until the top of the dish is covered. Leaving a little space around each spoonful allows the fruit to bubble up through the gaps giving it a cool "cobbled" look.

  

Bake for about 20 minutes.

 

While the cobbler is baking, make the lemon butter mixture for the crust. Put the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan with the honey, lemon juice and sugar. Melt over low heat. Pour the melted mixture over the crust.

 

Turn up the oven to 375 and cook for 15 - 20 more minutes or until golden brown.

Zest a Meyer Lemon

 Butter, sugar, Meyer lemon zest, sour cream

Flour, polenta, baking powder and salt

 Fresh blueberries dotted with the polenta mixture

 Finished - NICE!   Great job Lis!