TODAY Food Club

Fresh pressed olive oil, homemade yogurt, hand ground cardamom pods and oranges from our farm are the colors, scents, and tastes of my childhood. My family used what was abundant and in season and this combination of flavors were a delectable explosion on the palette and a warm, sweet balm to the soul. At it's heart, this cake honors my family's culinary history, while the modern candied blood orange addition signifies my mark on this tradition. The sweet, sour, tangy and unbelievably bright blood orange is bursting with juicy flavor that is reminiscent of an orange, tangerine and lemon, all they while drenched in its own crimson uniqueness. Cake is often treated as a vehicle for frosting. Not here. Not this bake. Not this cake. This Candied Blood Orange Olive Oil Yogurt Cake is one of the most deeply flavorful and gratifying cakes I have ever created. The fruity intense flavor of the extra virgin oil, with the tang of the yogurt and sweet sour bite of the blood orange is an incredible symphony when married together.

Candied Blood Orange Olive Oil Yogurt Cake

• Servings: 1 slice
• Yield: 12 servings
• Prep Time: 40 min
• Cooking Time: 37 min

Ingredients

• 3 blood oranges, thinly sliced, preferably organic
• 1 ¾ cup (350 grams) granulated sugar, (divided, 1 cup for candying oranges, ¾ for cake)
• ½ cup (118 ml) water
• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup of (118 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup (245 grams) whole plain yogurt, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs at room temperature,
• zest of one blood orange, preferably organic

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Liberally spray the cake pan or ramekins you are using with a non-stick cooking oil spray.
2. Make the candied oranges by whisking together the sugar and water in a large sauce pan. Heat on medium heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Gently add the orange slices and simmer on low heat for an additional 3 minutes and then remove from the heat.
3. Layer the cake pan with the slices covering the entire bottom of the pan and gently pour ½ cup of the remaining syrup over the slices.
4. If using the ramekins, add a single slice of the candied blood orange and top with a tablespoon of the syrup.
5. For the cake, prepare your wet and dry ingredients.
6. Whisk the dry ingredients, the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cardamom together until well combined. Whisk together the wet ingredients, the butter, olive oil, yogurt and eggs until combined into a homogeneous mixture, about 2 minutes.
7. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients only until just combine, do not over mix.
8. Add the blood orange zest and gently fold until just combined.
9. Scoop the batter about ⅔ of the way up the ramekins, or a 9 or 10 inch cake pan.
10. Bake the ramekin cakelettes for 25 minutes until just baked and a cake testing skewer or toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Remove from the oven and cool on a baking rack.
11. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then turn over onto a serving plate.
12. If using a cake pan, bake for 32-37 minutes until just baked and a cake testing skewer or toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Remove from the oven and cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes, and then turn over onto a cake plate to serve.

Recipe Tags

• Winter
• Middle Eastern
• Dessert