Category: Sweet Recipes

Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Italian Plums

Late summer fruit- Italian Plums and peaches
Late summer fruit- Italian Plums and peaches

This cake is very easy to make, and utterly delicious. It  makes use of of the season’s bounty- hurry and try it while you can still find Italian Plums at the farmers’ markets!

And – it’s dairy free!

Lemon Olive Oil Plum Cake

Heat oven to 350. Coat a 9” cake pan with olive oil and dust with flour.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (5 oz) all purpose flour

¼ cup (1.5 oz) yellow cornmeal

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp table salt

¾ cup (5.25 oz) sugar

½ cup fruity Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp lemon zest

10 Italian Plums, cut in half and pitted

Confectioner’s Sugar for dusting the top of the cake

METHOD:

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and olive oil until completely emulsified.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and lemon zest.

Gently fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Combine thoroughly.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Lay the Italian Plums cut side down on top of the batter in concentric circles.

Bake 25- 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool 15 minutes on rack; unmold cake, turn plum side up and finish cooling on rack.

Dust the top of the cake with Confectioner’s Sugar.

BAKER’S NOTE – This cake is equally delicious without the addition of plums.

Finished product - Plum cake cooling in the pan
Finished product – Plum cake cooling in the pan
Plum Cake Batter
Plum Cake Batter

Zucchini Apricot Muffins or Tea Bread

2015-04-25 13.44.16Zucchini, Zucchini, Zucchini !!!

These are heavenly for a weekend breakfast with friends

Zucchini and Apricot Muffins or Tea Bread

Heat oven to 350; Spray a muffin pan or  8×4 loaf pan with non- stick baking spray

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (5 oz ) All Purpose flour

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ cup plus 2 TBS dried apricots, diced (2 oz)

¼ cup plus 2 TBS walnuts, toasted and chopped (1.5 oz)

1 large egg

6 TBS (3 fluid oz) canola oil

¼ cup plus 2 TBS sugar (2.6 oz) ¼ cup apricot preserves (2.5 oz)

1 ½ cup grated zucchini (6.25 oz)

2 TBS sugar for sprinkling on top

METHOD:

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set Aside

In a small bowl, combine dried apricots and walnuts. Lightly dust with flour. Set Aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, canola oil, apricot preserves and sugar until completely combined.

Gently fold in zucchini.

Fold in flour mixture and stir until completely combined

Add apricots and walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan; smooth top and give a healthy dusting of sugar.

Bake until firm to the touch and tester comes out clean- about 15- 18 minutes for muffins, 30-35 minutes for tea bread

Yield: 9-10 muffins, or an  8×4 inch loaf