i love sweet little cakes in spring.... this is one that i make all the time as it's great with a tea in the morning or after dinner for a sweet tooth something...it's one of my faves & the recipe makes 2 cakes... so i can always give one as a presie.... which i really LOVE!
here is the list....flour - 3 1/3 cupsbaking powder - 1 heaping tspcaster sugar (or cuisineart your cane sugar to make it fine) - 1 cup4 orangesolive oil (tinted glass & organic) - 3/4 cuppine nuts - as many as you wantbrown sugar - 1/4 cupvanilla extract - 1 tsp&4 (brown & from the farmers hand) eggs...
i love to gather all the things i will need first (as though i am creating a little photo shoot for martha stewart living) and make it feel a little fancy with all the ingredients so i can see everything out...there is something calming to my hormonal symphony about this... gathering all the parts that will in time make a whole....also - the practical side is once they are all in one place i will not be running around in circles when it's time to mix, stir in gradually and so on.
2 round pans... olive oil massage & dust with flour... getting em' ready for the love & let em' wait for it on the side. oh and put the oven on 350.
separate the 4 eggs... put the whites in a big bowl and whisk away until they are foamy and fluff. if it's hot in your house - put them in the fridge and if not - leave them out as we will come back to them in a few minutes.
next..whip the yolks & the vanilla for the foamy touch.. then add the sugars... wait a bit... then add the olive oil bit by bit & mix well after each addition. it will be getting thicker by the minute and that is good.
now sift the flour & baking powder into the mix bit by bit....
i sift with this collander sifter... and hit it with a wooden spoonit's a bit tribal and does the job.
grate the zest of one orange andsqueeze about 4 oranges to make 1 cup of orange juice
then fold into the whites - which i usually will put the whites into
the mixer b/c the batter is so incredibly thick ... it works best for me this way.
then add the pinenuts & sprinkles and sparkles of all the colors you love..
&
put them in the oven for 35 minutes!
beauty in one cake..
and now you have 2...
enjoy!
(thank you to tessa kiros/apple for jam for this recipe)