Grape Harvest Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have fallen head-over-heels in love with grape desserts. They are relatively new to me, but I am making a determined effort to make up for years of lost time. A few months ago,  I featured a Vintner's Grape Cake that was made with olive oil. It was so good, that it had my socks going up and down. Shortly after sharing it with you, I came across another cake on the Whole Foods website. I was drawn to their cake because it  omitted the citrus flavors found in the cake that I had already published and I was curious to see if I would like it as well.  It, obviously, was time for some comparison testing and a definitive  selection of best of class was in order. As it turns out, I was unable to do that. The first cake was a clear winner in the dessert category, but this tender harvest cake took honors in the tea and breakfast category where the intensity of the citrus was deemed to be off putting  so early in the day. We'll have to leave the final judgment up to you.  I hope you will give both these recipes a try. In the great scheme of things, they are easy to make and I suspect you'll love them both. Here is how the Grape Harvest Cake is made.

Grape Harvest Cake ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Whole Foods Recipes

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for buttering the pan
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cane sugar
2 large eggs and 1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring the pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
2-1/4 cups (3/4 pound) red seedless grapes

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch metal cake pan and line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Butter paper and then coat pan with flour.
2) In bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl frequently. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in yolk, followed by olive oil.
3) Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl.
4) On low speed, beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with additions of buttermilk and scraping down sides of the bowl frequently. Stir in half the grapes and pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle top with remaining grapes and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
5) Bake until cake is browned on top and springs back when pressed lightly with your finger, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of pan, then invert, peel off paper and cool cake upright on a rack. Serve warm or room temperature. Yield: 12 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Blueberry Yogurt Cake

Two Years Ago Today: Georgia-Style Brunswick Stew

Three Years Ago Today: Pumpkin Roll

Orange Blossom Tea Cake with Grapes and Olive Oil

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My palate favors barely sweet European-style pastries, so, when I saw this recipe on the blog, Just A Smidgen, I knew I had to give it a try. I already have several recipes for grape cakes and, collectively,  they've all claimed places on my list of family favorites. While these cakes are delicious, they are probably not meant for mass consumption. If you take a quick glance at the ingredient's list, the quantity of olive oil that's used in this recipe is an indicator of just how different this cake truly is. It also calls for another strong and flavorful ingredient called orange blossom water. Most of you will not be able to find it in your local markets, but it is available on-line and this article will do a great job of explaining just what it is. It is difficult to find a workable substitute, but, in a pinch,  a 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract mixed with a teaspoon of lemon juice will come close enough. I love the way French and North African flavors are combined in this recipe. The cake is boldly flavored, but remains sweet enough to serve for dessert or tea. Those with more sophisticated tastes, and those whose palates are simply tired of ordinary desserts, will love the bright bold flavors of this delightful tea cake. I've made it 3 times now, twice without incident. Obviously, I have a caution to share with you. It is tricky to tell when this cake is done and if you pull it from the oven before its time,  you'll have an unmistakeable wet streak in the middle of your cake. Following my first less than stellar attempt, I increased the baking time by 15 minutes and had fantastic results. I love the blend of flavors in this cake and I'll be making it often. I hope you will give it a try. It is a wonderful cake for the slightly adventurous. Here's the recipe.

Orange Blossom Tea-Cake with Grapes and Olive Oil...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Barbara Bamber and Laura Calder

 Ingredients:
5 egg, separated
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 orange zest only
1-1/2 teaspoons orange blossom water
1 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds
1 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 ounces seedless red grapes
3 tablespoons warm honey
2 tablespoons coarse baker's sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
coarse white sprinkling sugar and regular sugar

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Rub bottom and sides of a 9″ springform pan with a little olive oil then line with parchment paper.
2) Gently crushed dried green cardamom pods with a rolling-pin to remove black seeds inside. Discard outer pod. Continue crushing pods until you have 1 teaspoon of black cardamom seeds.
3) Beat egg yolks and sugar until sugar dissolves and thick, pale ribbons of batter form. Mix in olive oil, lemon juice and zest, orange zest and orange blossom water. Add cardamom seeds to batter.
4) Beat egg whites and salt in another bowl until stiff peaks are formed.
5) Sift cake flour into another bowl,
6) Add flour to egg yolk batter. Then gently fold in beaten egg whites, taking care not to deflate egg whites. Fold in half of the grapes.
7) Pour batter into prepared springform pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, then open oven and scatter remaining grapes over top. Using your finger, gently press the grapes to partially submerge them into cake. Leave some more exposed than others. Close oven door and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes or until a skewer poked in middle of cake comes out clean.
8) Remove from oven and transfer pan to a wire rack to cook. Leave the cake in springform pan and gently brush warm, spreadable honey over top. Sprinkle coarse baker's sugar over top and finish with a dusting of regular sugar. Allow cake to cool completely in springform pan, then gently remove and transfer to a cake plate. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

(adapted from French Taste, by Laura Calder)

One Year Ago Today: Turkish Shepherd's Salad - Coban Salatas

Two Years Ago Today: Chocolate Babka

Three Years Ago Today: Easy New England Clam Chowder