I'm a sucker for seasonal produce and local farmers markets. And this recipe lets me use all my goodies!
My friend Julia recently brought me some of the most delicious, Blood Oranges from Good Land Organics they were just perfect for this recipe, super juicy with a thin rind. I paired them with some lemon infused olive oil from a previous Farmers Market haul and they were the perfect marriage for this cake!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 medium blood oranges
3/4 cup sugar (I prefer super fine if I have it one hand)
1/3 cup greek (either plain or vanilla) yogurt
2 eggs
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (a citrus infused one if you happen to have one)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract (if not using an infused olive oil)
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
Cooking spray for pan. ( I prefer the baking one that has floor in it)
Powder Sugar (optional) Just enough for a light dusting
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F . Grease a round nonstick 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and water to make a thick paste. Spread this thinly and evenly onto the base of the cake pan and set aside.
Zest both orange and add this to a large bowl with the sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the zest is evenly distributed. Set aside.
Slice both oranges as thinly as you can. If the skin is thin enough you can leave it on. I like the texture and they way it looks. But...my kids on the other hand don't like it so when I make the cake for them I cut the skin totally off.
5. Arrange the slices on top of the brown sugar base in the cake pan. You can cut some of the slices in half or quarters to create a different pattern and to fill in all the gaps.
6. Add the yogurt to the bowl with the sugar and whisk briefly to combine. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, lemon extract and olive oil. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until smooth. Gently pour the batter evenly on top of the orange slices, being careful not to disturb the oranges underneath. Batter will be thick.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the sponge is firm to the touch and golden brown. Let the cake cool in it's pan for about 15mins.
8. Carefully flip cake on to plate.
9. Optional: Dust with a bit of powdered sugar.
Enjoy!
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