Citrus Olive Oil Cake with a Brown Butter Glaze

This is one of my go-to cakes for when I want to make something simple, yet also insanely delicious. Both the cake batter and the glaze come together really quickly, and the joy of a glaze is that decorating the cake is as easy as pouring the glaze over the top. Voila, you're done! There is definitely a reason I've made this cake more times that I can remember. 

There is also a reason I'm choosing to share this cake with you now... it's been a pretty crazy few months in my life and this recipe is one of my stand-bys, a tried and true great recipe. The holidays hit me harder than usual this year - with a three week trip to Michigan from Thanksgiving through mid-December, a friend of my babes' visiting from Nashville for a long weekend, followed by both of our immediate families visiting Portland for the week between Christmas and New Years. There has been a whole lot of fun, very little alone time, and only the occasional meal cooked by yours truly. 

There is still one wintery weekend at Mt Hood left on the holiday schedule (it's my birthday celebration - the ultimate holiday extender!), but then I couldn't be more excited to get back in my kitchen and back to developing fun new things for all of you! 

Now, back to this awesome cake! It adapts easily to whatever type of citrus juice you have on hand, and don't even think about skipping out on the brown butter glaze. I've omitted it before and while the cake is still delicious, it isn't nearly the same. 

Citrus Olive Oil Cake

1 cup all purpose flour 

1/2 cup ground almonds / almond flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt 

3 large eggs 

3/4 cup sugar 

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp olive oil 

1/2 tsp vanilla 

1/4 tsp almond extract 

zest of 1 lemon or orange 

1/2 orange juice (or another citrus juice) 

1/3 cup sliced almonds 

• Butter and flour a 9 inch round cake pan, 8 inch square cake pan, or two 6 inch round cake pans (options are the best!). 
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt. 
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs just a bit then add sugar and whisk until fully incorporated. Add olive oil and whisk for about 45 seconds to one minute until the mixture starts to thicken and get lighter in color. Whisk in the extracts and zest, then the juice. 
• Add dry ingredients and whisk gently until just combined. 
• Pour into pan (or divide equally between the two pans if you're using 6 inch), and sprinkle with sliced almonds. 
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is lightly browned. 
• Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then gently remove and let cool completely on a rack. 

Brown Butter Glaze

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 cup powdered sugar

3 Tbsp whole milk

1/2 tsp lemon juice

• Melt butter in a small pan over medium heat. Let it bubble while occasionally swirling it in the pan until it starts to turn a golden brown color and smells nutty (aka, like heaven). Remove from heat immediately to prevent it from burning. This process of browning the butter caramelizes the milk solids and gives the butter an amazing nutty flavor. 
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk, then slowly whisk in the butter and lemon juice. 
• Pour over cooled cake, letting the glaze drip down the sides. 
• Optional: decorate with long strands of citrus zest or a very thin slice of citrus! 

Gingerbread Carrot Cake with Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting!

I'm going to keep this one short, folks, since I know we're all over our heads busy this time of year. And really, we should just focus on this absolutely amazing cake. We start with a hearty spiced carrot cake packed with ginger and molasses, from one of my favorite blogs - Lady and Pups. I've topped it with my favorite go-to cream cheese frosting spiked with a bit of cardamom and a variation on the ginger fries recommended in the original recipe. 

Believe me - if you love ginger as much as I do, you're going to want to start frying up ginger sprinkles on a regular basis! Absolutely genius. 

This cake is really pretty darn easy to make, and it stores in the fridge over night making it an impressive and convenient holiday dessert! Packed with all the spices we crave this time of year, there really is no going wrong here. 

So, here you are! Gingerbread carrot cake, cardamom cream cheese frosting, and ginger sprinkles. All the holiday dessert you've ever dreamed! 

Gingerbread Carrot Cake 

10oz (or about 2 small) carrots, grated finely 

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

2 1/2 tsp ground ginger 

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

/4 tsp ground allspice 

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt 

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 

1 cup molasses 

3/4 cup dark brown sugar 

1/3 cup cane sugar 

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger 

2 large eggs 

3/4 cup whole milk 

• Prepare two 8 inch round cake pans by buttering and flouring the edges, and lining the bottom with a round of parchment paper. 
• Toss grated carrots with flour, cocoa, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 
• In a large bowl whisk together melted butter, molasses, sugars, fresh ginger, and eggs until smooth. 
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the milk and carrot mixture into the wet ingredients. Continue folding until the mixture is just incorporated. 
• Divide batter between two cake pans, using a spatula to smooth the batter in each pan. 
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Carefully run a knife around the edge of each pan to separate the cake from the walls of the pan, then let the cakes cool for about 20 minutes in the pans. 
• Turn the cakes out of the pans and let cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting. 

Ginger Sprinkles 

3 inches fresh ginger 

3/4 cup vegetable oil 

• Prepare a space to place your cooked ginger by setting a few layers of paper towel over a plate or baking sheet. 
• Peel the ginger, then slice it into shoestring pieces as thin as you possible can. 
• Combine ginger and oil in a small pan, and place over medium heat. Allow the oil to heat to a temperature where it is bubbling gently with the ginger. If the oil ever starts to smoke, be sure to turn it down! 
• Continue cooking the ginger in the hot oil until it starts to crisp up and turn a golden brown.
• Scoop ginger out of the oil using a slotted spoon, and place it on the paper towel to cool. Alternatively, strain oil through a fine mesh sieve into another container then place ginger on the paper towels. Either way, I definitely recommend straining your oil and saving it for later use (it'll have a nice gingery flavor!). 

Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting 

16 oz cream cheese, softened 

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened 

1/3 cup maple syrup 

1 Tbsp vanilla 

6-7 cups powdered sugar 

3-4 Tbsp whole milk 

1/8 tsp cardamom 

• Start by whipping the cream cheese for about 1 minute, using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer. It should start to get just a little fluffy. 
• Add the butter and continue to whip for another minute or so, again allowing the mixture to fluff up a bit. 
• Add syrup, vanilla, and cardamom and continue mixing until just combined. 
• Add about 2 cups of the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Then alternate adding sugar and milk. First add about 1 cup of sugar and mix to combine, then about 1 Tbsp of milk and mix to combine. Continue this process until the frosting reaches a good consistency, or you've used all your milk and sugar. 
• Finally, whip the frosting for about 4 minutes until it is light and fluffy. 

Assembling the Cake 

Once you have all of your pieces ready, this cake is a synch to assemble! Make sure to peel the parchment paper off of the bottom of your cakes, and take a moment to slice the top off of one cake should the tops be rounded (so they stack nicely!). 

• If you did slice the top off one cake, use that one as your base. Set it on the plate or cake stand you intend to serve the cake on. I like to use three strips of parchment paper, about 4 inches wide to keep the plate clean. Slip them just a bit under the cake, working your way around so that the entire base of the cake has parchment between the cake and the plate. 
• Scoop  cup or so of the frosting onto the top of the layer. There will be no shortage of frosting, so go heavy if you're a frosting lover. Smooth with an offset spatula. 
• Set the second layer on top of the frosting, and frost the entire outside of the cake. 
• Use the ginger sprinkles to decorate the top of the cake however you like! 

Cranberry Almond Frangipane Tart

I'm going to keep this post simple and more to the point than normal, because I know we're all busy this time of year trying to find those perfect dishes for a beautiful (and hopefully not too complicated) Thanksgiving feast! While this recipe has quite a few steps, there is plenty of down time to be getting other things done in the kitchen or around the house. 

I picked up a rather absurd quantity of cranberries at the Hollywood Farmers Market here in Portland over the weekend, because fresh cranberries are just such an exciting fall treat. My dad is the king of cranberries when it comes to holiday meals at home, so I'm bringing a bag home to him for a little west coast/great lakes cranberry sauce. 

It couldn't stop with just the cranberry sauce though, I was determined to make a cranberry dessert perfect for Thanksgiving or anytime you please! 

In dreaming up the options of what to do with those vibrant red berries, I rather quickly settled on a frangipane tart... if you've ever had one before, you'll probably understand why. There is just something so magical about the rich simplicity of frangipane. I first fell in love with it making Smitten Kitchen's  Cherry Almond Galette (from the cookbook!), and have since considered all the ways I can incorporate more of this almond magic into my diet. 

So here you are, a basic shortbread tart crust, filled with almond frangipane and fresh cranberries. 

Tart Crust / Pâte Sablée

8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp cream or milk, if needed

• In the bowl of a stand mixer (you can also use a hand mixer or a strong arm!), beat the butter and sugar until creamy. 

• Add the egg yolk, and continue mixing until it is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of your bowl as needed. 

• Add the flour and salt, then mix on a low speed until the dough is just coming together and there is no flour visible. You don't want to overmix the dough, so do only leave the machine running until the dough is just coming together. At this point, the dough should easily be pressed together between your fingers without falling apart. If it seems a little dry or doesn't hold together, add just as much milk or cream as is needed for it to come together. 

• Turn the bowl out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, and gather the dough into a round disc shape. Wrap it in the plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour (or up to a few days if you're preparing ahead of time). 

• When you're ready to bake your pastry shell, remove the dough from the fridge and let it soften slightly for a few minutes (especially if you've refrigerated it for more than an hour). Roll the dough into a circle, about 12 inches in diameter. This can be done between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap to reduce the amount of flour added to the dough while rolling. 

• To easily transfer the dough to the tart pan, remove the top sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap, and carefully invert the dough into the pan. Then remove the bottom sheet. Gently lift the edges of the dough to fit it down into the corners of the pan, being careful not to rip the dough. Trim any extra edges you might have by running a paring knife around the edges of the pan. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the tart shell (or fill it with parchment and pie weights, if you have them). 

• Wrap the pan loosely in plastic and return the dough to the fridge to cool for 30 minutes prior to baking. 

• Bake the shell at 375 for 10-15 minutes, until the surface of the pastry is dry and it is just ever so slightly starting to turn golden. 

• Cool shell completely before adding filling. 

Filling and Finishing

6 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp (3oz) caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup (85 grams) ground almonds or almond flour
½ tsp almond extract

cranberries (fresh or frozen) 

• Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium until the mixture becomes creamy, this generally takes a few minutes. 
• Add the eggs and mix on medium again until the eggs are fully incorporated. 
• Finally, mix in the ground almonds and almond extract until fully incorporated. If you don't have stand mixer, this can be done using a hand mixture or a strong arm and a wooden spoon! 
• Fill cooled pastry shell with the filling, then arrange cranberries in a spiral by carefully setting them in the filling. 
• Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes, until the filling is solid and the top is a beautiful golden brown color. Turn halfway through baking time if your oven bakes unevenly for consistent browning. 
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes before removing from the tart pan. To remove the tart from your pan, carefully set the tart on a jar or small overturned bowl and let the ring fall (carefully pull it downward if needed). Slide the tart off of the pan and onto your serving tray, or simply serve it on the base of the tart pan. 
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you wish.