Orange Olive Oil Cake

It never fails...after the holidays are over when the cookies, fudge and candy canes go away, the cravings hit.  I think we all need to go into "sweets rehab" right after the new year, because after about two weeks of no desserts, I start hearing it...pantry cupboard doors opening and shutting, the refrigerator light goes on, then I hear the freezer door shut and vapor lock.  "Don't we have any treats in the house?" echoes every night, at about 8 pm from various voices.  So there you have it, if there are too many sweets in the house I hear about it, but if there aren't any treats I really hear about it.

As I am altitude challenged here, I always hesitate when it comes to baking...especially trying new cake recipes.  It took be about a year of us being in the Rocky Mountains before I figured out how to bake in high altitudes.  I saw this dessert on Food Network a few weeks ago and thought it looked really good.  I have made a few olive oil cakes in the past (at sea level) and enjoyed them.  (Since olive oil is good for you and in the Mediterranean Diet, this cake can't be bad for you, right?)

I tried branching out and get fancy with the powdered sugar design, as I came across an extra doile in my pantry.  The finished product reminded me of all our snowflakes this winter and the snow that we still are dealing with.

This cake is beyond amazing.  It is a dense cake, but incredibly light and the hint of orange sends it over the top.  My husband couldn't stay out of it and he doesn't even like cake..so that really says a lot.

Orange Olive Oil Cake
Courtesy of Melissa d'Arabian's Ten Dollar Dinners

Butter, for greasing the pan
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice and zest of 1 orange (about 3 tablespoons juice, 1 tablespoon zest)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Mix together the sugar and eggs in a medium bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until blended and light. Drizzle in the olive oil and vanilla and mix until light and smooth. Add the orange juice and zest and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another medium bowl. Add the flour mixture half at a time to the wet ingredients and mix on low just to incorporate.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the cake cool 15 minutes, dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

Baked Fontina Cheese Dip

It is the official week of the beginning of fall and it has definitely been showing around here.  The leaves are turning their beautiful colors and there is a crispness in the air each morning...and then it goes back to 85 degrees.  Well, at least it feels like fall for a few hours each day.

This charming little farm is near our old house and my husband called me as he was driving by it the other morning to let me know that the pumpkins were out and so wonderfully displayed.  Thankfully I had my camera with me and was able to catch this great shot.  

For those cool nights, here is a warm cheese dip to take the chill off.  I will give you one warning, be careful when you are taking it out of the oven.  The olive oil and cheese are bubbly and popping and I gained a new grease burn from it (which I of course proudly shared with the chef at my cooking class).

Baked Fontina

Courtesy of Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)

1-1/2 pounds Italian Fontina cheese, rind removed and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup olive oil

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 crusty French baguette

Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack 5 inches from the heat.

Distribute the cubes of Fontina evenly in a 12-inch cast-iron pan.  Drizzle on the olive oil.  Combine the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and sprinkle it over the cheese and olive oil.  Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and place the pan under the broiler for about 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and starts to brown.

Serve the baked Fontina family style, right out of the oven in the cast-iron pan with crusty chunks of bread.

** This recipe makes a large batch and is very rich, so I cut the recipe in half when I made it for our small family.