The Moistest Orange Olive Oil Cake

One of the desserts for my Italian Dinner Night was an Orange Olive Cake, oh my gosh was it awesome! I love anything citrusy, and this cake was soooo good.  It was moist, that is always at the top of my list when eating cake. It was especially good because there is no frosting on this cake, it doesn't need it! I made two cakes for my dinner and by the end of the night, all but two small pieces were left.  It was a fan of everyone, as some took pieces of it home and wanted the recipe.  I served my cake with fresh whipped cream on the side sprinkled with a little orange zest.

This cake is going to be a staple in my house.  The hubby loved it, we were fighting over the last piece of the cake, shame on us, we know how to share!

This is one of the easiest cakes I have ever baked, and outside of my homemade chocolate cake, this one is a number one too.  This is how I made it.

Recipe below.

To print recipe, click on it, highlight and print.

To view photos in a larger format, click on them.

Simple ingredients is all it takes to make this delicious cake and I always have these ingredients in the house, so I didn't have to run to the store.

 Spray your spring form pan with baking spray, cut a round of parchment paper by tracing around bottom of pan.  Cut inside the trace mark, place the round in the bottom of pan.

 Zest oranges, and start mixing ingredients together.

 Don't forget to wrap outside bottom of pan with foil.

 Cake is done and cooled.

 There it is in the back, dusted with confectioner's sugar and looking pretty tasty!

Orange Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients

zest from 1 1/2 - 2 oranges, I like a lot of zest in it for more flavor

1 3/4 cups unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional (see note)

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cups regular extra virgin olive oil, do not use flavored oils
3/4 cup Simply Orange No Pulp Orange Juice

Confectioner's sugar for dusting on top of cooled cake

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray. Place a round of parchment in the bottom of the pan and spray lightly with cooking spray. Wrap the outside of the pan bottom in heavy duty foil to catch any leaks.

Zest oranges, set aside.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom (if using), set aside.

In large bowl, beat eggs on medium high with mixer until broken up and combined, about 1 minute.

Slowly add sugar and continue beating until light and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. On low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and oil to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. (1/3 flour, 1/2 oil, 1/3 flour, 1/2 oil, 1/3 flour) mixing until mostly combined after each addition.  On low speed, add the orange juice and zest until all is combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cake tester/toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.  If you notice cake starting to get really brown, tent a piece of foil over the top for the remaining baking time. Remember all ovens are different, mine took exactly 55 minutes. 

Remove  from oven to a cooling rack, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in pan.  Take a paddle knife and go around the edge between the pan and cake to loosen it from the ring.  Remove ring around spring form pan and allow to cool completely on a rack.

Cover cake and let sit overnight.

Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve. Make 1 cake.

NOTE: Cardamom has a spicy, herbal, citrusy, smoky flavor to it.  The 1/8 teaspoon this recipe called for gave this cake a hint of the taste. If you want more of that taste, use your judgement and use more Cardamom, but if you don't like it or are allergic to it leave it out.

Easy As 1, 2, 3 Apple Cake

I have to start making smaller portions of meals and desserts, now that two of my kids are back in college and the other is working all the time.  On most nights, it's just me and the hubby.  I have never in my life cooked or baked for just two people, and that my friends is hard when you are used to cooking for five or more.

So, I am getting on the ball and changing the way I cook.  I don't mind having something leftover, but I don't want enough leftover to feed and army of people.  I have to rethink the way I cook and bake, so as to not waste food.  Smaller portions, make a smaller me and the hubby!

I started last week with the Filet Mignon I made, check out that blog on September 18.  This week I made an Easy Apple Cake for dessert.

Recipe Below.

To print recipe, click, highlight and print.

To view pictures in a larger format, click on them.

I always start my baking by getting everything out and at my fingertips so I don't forget anything.  Here, I sliced my apples and sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar, and measured everything out.  So, apples ready and eggs and sugar ready to be mixed.

Beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.

They should be a pale yellow color.   Then add the flour 1/2 at a time...... 

......and mix after each.

Pour into a grease and floured baking pan, I used a round one.

Top with the cinnamon apples and just gently press them in a little.

And off to the oven it goes!

Almost done and the house smells fantastic!

And how good......

 does this look?  Dust with a little powdered sugar and.....

......a little scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce finishes it off.

Easy As 1,2,3 Apple Cake

Ingredients

2 medium size baking apples, McIntosh, Granny Smith are good

1/4 cup of cinnamon sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup of sugar

1 cup unbleached flour

1/4 teaspoon of cardamom, optional  or use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (see note)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Leave the skin on the apples and core and slice them.  Toss with the cinnamon sugar, set aside.  Spray a round baking pan with Bakers Joy, or just grease and flour the pan. Beat the eggs and the 1 cup of sugar in a medium mixing bowl, until almost white and fluffy.  Add 1/2 the flour and mix until combined, then add the other half and mix well.  Add the cardamom or the vanilla and mix completely.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, and arrange the apple slices in pattern of your choice, gently press into the batter, don't press all the way in you want to be able to see them.  Bake for 35-40 minutes (all ovens are different), or until a cake tester comes out clean.  If it doesn't get brown on top, I changed the setting on my oven to broil for about 1 minute to brown the top, be careful you have to watch it!  Serve with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce. Makes 6-8 servings.

NOTE:  Cardamom is a strong and aromatic spice, and is commonly used in Swedish baking for cookies and cakes. It has citrus and herbal overtones.  It pairs well with cinnamon, nutmeg allspice, lemons and oranges.  It is on the pricey side, so if you don't want to purchase for this recipe just use vanilla.  

All Natural Applesauce Cake

Trying to make desserts for a vegan is hard!  Almost everything you bake or make has butter, eggs or milk in the recipe.  My son, who is the vegan, does not eat any dairy products at all.  He drinks almond milk, and substitutes butter with coconut oil.  I do have a very good chocolate cake recipe, that he loves (check this blog for my Chocolate Dessert Cake featured for Mother's Day) that is all natural, but other than that I was at a loss as to what to make.  I now have this new recipe someone shared with me to try.  No mixer was required to mix it, just a whisk and 3 bowls.  Easy as that and good to boot!  This cake proves, you do not have to give up anything by not using dairy in baking.  It is full of flavor, raisins and walnuts.  If you don't like raisins or walnuts just leave them out.  You can top this cake with a glaze that is also non dairy.  So pull out your fork and enjoy a piece, or two or three, with a cup of coffee or tea.  This is certainly an Autumn, sit on your porch and watch the leaves fall, kind of dessert.  A little something extra - the house smells fantastic as it's baking!  Recipe below.  To print this recipe and other recipes in this blog, click and highlight the recipe then send to your printer.

All of my ingredients for the cake.

 Dry ingredients in a large bowl, then whisk them together.

 All the wet ingredients and the sugar in a medium bowl and mix together.  Dust the raisins and the chopped walnuts with flour in a small bowl.  This is so they do not sink to the bottom of the cake.

 Spray a Bundt pan with Bakers Joy, or grease with oil and flour.  The cake is baked and cooling.

Perfect Bundt cake full of raisins and walnuts, and so moist.

Glaze, cut and....

Enjoy! Rich tasting, moist and delicious.

Vegan Applesauce Cake

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups of unbleached flour

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of ginger

2 1/4 cups of unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 cups of dark brown sugar

1/2 cup of canola oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of vanilla

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

1/2 cup of raisins

Maple Syrup Glaze 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a Bundt pan with Baker's Joy, or grease with oil and dust with flour. Tap the pan to remove any excess flour.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Whisk together.  In a medium bowl, combine the applesauce, brown sugar, oil, vinegar and vanilla.  Whisk together.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not over mix the batter.  In a small bowl, add about 2 tablespoons of flour, and coat the raisins and the walnuts.  Fold into the the batter.

Fill the prepared Bundt pan and spread the batter evenly.  Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, depending on your oven, until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.  Rotate the cake halfway through the baking process. Remove from oven and let cool before turning out of the pan.  Loosen the cake around the edges with a knife and invert on to a cooling rack.  If you are glazing the cake, let it cool completely before frosting. Transfer to a cake plate to serve.

Maple Syrup Glaze

1 cup of confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

1 - 2 tablespoons of water

Mix together, using 1 tablespoon at a time to your desired consistency.  Drizzle over the cake.

I Bellissimi Dolci - The Beautiful Desserts

Here is that dessert tower again. Homemade cannolis on the top and bottom trays and on the  two middle trays, homemade pizzelles and pignoli cookies.  These were all scrumptious!  I will share my new cannoli recipe later.  These were simply THE best cannolis I ever tasted (and not because I made them!) they were not hard to make and the cream inside was so smooth and full of flavor.  I also served an Italian Love Cake, yes that is what it is called.   This cake has three layers of rich, chocolaty and cheesy goodness (recipe below - read directions carefully!), and Affogato.  Affogato is 2 -3 small scoops of a very good ice cream - vanilla, coffee or hazelnut flavored, or mix them up, pour 2 tablespoons of hot Kahlua, hot espresso or hot coffee over the top, top with 3 tablespoons of canned whipped cream (do not use non-dairy topping), a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts and a sprinkle of shaved dark chocolate.

The Italian Love Cake ingredients

First layer - mix up the batter

Pour into a 9 x 13 pan

Second layer -Mixing up the ricotta cheese

Baked and cooling

Third layer - Whipped topping and pudding

Whipped topping mixed with milk and pudding.

Top with grated bittersweet chocolate, umm, umm, good!  It was a hit and didn't have any leftovers.

Italian Love Cake

Ingredients

2 lb container of whole milk ricotta cheese

cheesecloth

3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 pkg of fudge or dark chocolate cake mix

1 small box instant chocolate pudding

1 cup milk ( I use skim)

1 - 8 oz. container of whipped topping (I use lite or fat free)

Bittersweet chocolate shavings

Directions

Overnight - Place a large colander over a medium bowl, so it does not touch the bottom of the bowl.  Lay the cheesecloth over the colander and empty the whole container of ricotta cheese into it and press it down. Bring all the corners together twisting tightly, use a  twist tie so it stays closed.  Refrigerate overnight so the water drains from the cheese. 

Next Day - Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Take the ricotta cheese out of the refrigerator.  Remove the cheesecloth and transfer the cheese to a large bowl.  With a hand mixer, beat in the 3 eggs, sugar and vanilla, set aside   In another large bowl, mix up the cake according to the package directions.  Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 baking pan. Spread the ricotta mixture on top of the raw cake batter.  Bake in preheated oven for 55 -60 minutes.  When a cake tester inserted comes out clean the cake is done.  Let cake cool completely.

Topping - When  cake has cooled completely, mix up the topping. In a medium bowl, pour in the pudding mix and the milk.  Beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes until pudding sets.  Carefully and completely fold in the whipped topping, with a spatula.  Spread over the cooled cake and garnish with shaved bittersweet chocolate. Refrigerate to set up the topping, and refrigerate any leftovers.  Makes 10 - 12 servings.

Chocolate Dessert Cake

HAPPY   MOTHER'S   DAY!

I had a hankering for something chocolate and didn't have anything homemade in the house.  I am not big on store bought bakery items unless I am in a hurry.  I had an old recipe for a chocolate snack cake but wanted to dress it up and give it a punch.  I added strong coffee to the batter instead of water, you can certainly use water,  I like the coffee because it brings out the richness of the chocolate.  I doubled the recipe for the snack cake and added some toppings to make it richer and sweeter.  This is how I made it, recipe below. 

A big bowl and some of the ingredients.  You do not need a mixer for this, a whisk and a spatula will do the job.

Start pouring the measured ingredients into the bowl and whisk them together.

 

Get all the lumps out and it should look like the bowl on the right.

Then pour in the liquid measurements and it will foam a little, that's the vinegar and the baking soda reacting.  Spray your pan with Baker's Joy this stuff is great for baking and no mess, if you don't have that use butter and flour.

 I used walnuts and mini chocolate chips dusted with some sugar to make them sweet and crunchy.

 Baked and ready to be served.  Some like it plain.......

 I like mine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce or syrup, it's so good!  The cake is moist, crunchy, chocolaty and sweet, it's a party in a pan and is easy to make, bake and take.  This recipe is keeper!

Chocolate Dessert Cake

Ingredients for the cake

Bakers Joy or 1 tablespoon of vegan butter and flour for dusting the pan

2 1/4 cups of unbleached four

1 1/2 cups of granulated cane sugar

1/3 cup of Hershey's unsweetened baking cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 cups of strong coffee, cooled (can replace coffee with water if you like)

1/2 cup canola oil

4 1/2 teaspoons of white vinegar

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Ingredients for the crunchy topping

1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup Enjoy Life mini vegan chocolate chips

1/3 cup of cane sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with Baker's Joy or butter and flour set aside.  In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together until all the lumps are gone.  With a a spatula, stir in the coffee, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Scrape bowl from the bottom up to make sure everything is combined.  Pour the batter into the baking dish.  Mix together the crunchy topping ingredients and sprinkle it over the top of the cake batter, making sure to cover the whole cake.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted, comes out clean.  Cool the cake for about 1/2 hour. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate fudge sauce or Ben and Jerry's Vegan Ice Cream and Hershey's chocolate syrup. Can also be served cold.  Makes 12 - 14 servings.