LET ME EAT CAKE! (Citrus-Almond Cake)

LET ME EAT CAKE

(Citrus-Almond Cake)

As some of you know, after 22 years of dinner parties (many starring in this blog), annual Christmas Eve parties (yup, memorialized here), love and laughter, we’re selling our house (see “Diary of a Home Owner”).  We’ve been in escrow… out of escrow... in escrow... out of escrow... and in escrow, again (hopefully for the last time).  I’ve been euphoric… un-euphoric… euphoric… un-euphoric… and euphoric again. 

Please, let me eat cake!  And I don’t really like cake.

But, I do love citrus-almond cake…

Last night, friends came to say goodbye to our house, over dinner of course!  It was their final meal in the dining room where they’ve had so many other great Richard meals. The room will stay, but the memories will come with us to wherever Richard cooks again.  A moveable feast!

And for last nite's dessert… Let them eat cake!!!

Citrus-Almond Cake

(adapted from Molly Wizenberg)

Ingredients:

1 small-to-medium orange

1 lemon

6 oz raw almonds

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

4 eggs

½ tablespoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2/3 cup olive oil

Confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

Place the orange and the lemon in a saucepan, and cover w/ water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Drain and cool.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and set a rack in the middle position.   Bake the almonds 10 to 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool completely.  When the almonds are cool, pulse them in a food processor until ground.  (TIP:  to save time, Richard uses dry-roasted and unsalted almonds from Trader Joe’s.  Saves roasting time.)

Set oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch springform pan.

When the citrus is cool, cut the lemon in half, and discard the pulp and seeds.  Cut the orange in half, and discard the seeds.  Put the fruits in the food processor and process almost to a paste.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder. 

Combine eggs and salt.  Beat until foamy.

Beat in the sugar. 

Fold in the flour mixture. 

Add the citrus, almonds and olive oil, and beat on low speed until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for about 1 hour. (per Richard:  Check your oven.  He bakes for only 50 minutes).

Remove and dust w/ confectioner’s sugar.