Mediterranean Olive Oil Cake - 2

This could be the first of a couple variations on my original recipe in the most recent post below.

Nothing changes, from this recipe to the original, in the bowl of dry ingredients. In the egg-oil bowl, follow it until you get to the extracts. Omit the almond and vanilla, instead, substitute:

1/2-1t lemon extract

Then add:

1T fresh squeezed lemon juice

zest of one lemon

1 Cutie mandarin, finely chopped

Use the whole mandarin. Cut the stem and center white pithy parts away with a very sharp knife, then, finely chop the entire thing, peel and all.

Mix as directed in the original recipe. Prepare your 8" or 9" round or square pan by oiling it with EVOO and sugaring it. This gives a nicer texture to the crust than flouring. You could use pure cane sugar, coconut sugar or turbinado - which is what I used. The bigger crystals have the best crunch factor. Sprinkle the top with some spiced turbinado sugar also it you'd like.

Yesterday I stopped at a wonderful restaurant supply store here in Duluth, at 218 E. Superior Street. The Minnesota Foodservice Company. What a treasure trove for any foodie!! I bought my first springform pan - ever! At my age!! As you can see, within my learning curve, I wasn't trusting it completely since a springform pan is actually a ring with a removable bottom. I put it on a baking sheet before filling, just-in-case the cake batter tried to leak out, which it actually did, leaving a very browned thin 'cookie' attaching the pan to the baking sheet. I'm not sure about this pan. Next time I'll add parchment paper before I oil and sugar it.

Bake in your preheated, 350° oven. I baked this 45 minutes, then turned off the oven leaving the cake inside with the oven door cracked a couple inches for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a rack for at least half an hour before loosening the edges and transferring it to a serving plate. Cut into 8 big pieces or go smaller for 12 servings, 9 in a square pan.

This turned out so well and ended up at my Bible study this morning. I'm thinking this recipe might show up again as a Cinnamon-Cardamom Walnut version. . .Lin

edit: I forgot the glaze recipe: 2/3c powdered sugar, 1T EVOO and 1-3T lemon juice - however much you need to get it to a thick drizzle.

Hazelnut Craisin Mango Cake-Bread

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a bundt cake pan with butter or coconut oil.

Dust it with hazelnut flour, or use spiced turbinado sugar. This will give the finished cake-bread a crunchy-caramelized crust.

In a large glass bowl, whisk together:

1c oat 'flour'*

1⅓c corn flour

3/4c hazelnut flour

2T pumpkin pie spice

1/2T baking powder

1/2T baking soda

1t salt

*I made oat flour out of quick rolled oats, in my mini food processor. I was originally thinking this would have walnuts, but I discovered I was out of those. The hazelnut flour is made only of ground hazelnuts, so they added a bit of nutty flavor, just not the crunch.

In another glass bowl or large container, whisk together the wet ingredients:

1/2c oat milk

3/4c light olive oil

2T Mexican vanilla

2/3c coconut sugar

2/3c organic cane sugar

3 lg. pasture raised eggs

1½T fig balsamic vinegar

When these are well combined, and fluffy, add the fruit:

3/4c craisins or raisins

1 can drained diced mango

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry bowl, working quickly; using a silicone spatula; mix everything together, and pour into the prepared pan. Bake 1 hour, cool until at room temperature or cooler, before flipping onto a serving platter ("or it will break apart," says the voice-of-experience) This is a good anytime snack, breakfast or dessert. . .Lin