Moist and Yummy Orange Pecan Cake
Winter citrus is a wonderful way to feel the mood of warmer weather from the inside out. A vibrantly orange bag of Minneola Tangelos caught my eye at the grocery story on a particularly gloomy day last week. Aside from enjoying juicy vitamin-C rich segments, I thought I might try my hand at a citrusy pecan cake. Tangelos are a sweet citrus hybrid of grapefruit and tangerine which make for a brightly sweet and tart flavor in this moist and easy single-layer cake. If you can't get your hands on Minneolas, just substitute fresh orange and zest. You'll love this for dessert or even for breakfast with a nice cup of coffee.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. almond meal
- 1/2 c. cake flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 3/4 c. Greek-style yogurt
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 c. sugar
- juice from 2 Minneolas, divided
- 2 Tbsp. Minneola zest
- 1 c. (or more) powdered sugar
- 1/2 chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease and flour an 8" round metal baking tin, set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together cake flour, almond meal, and baking powder until completely combined. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl blend together butter, sugar, vanilla, zest, and juice from one Minneola. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding other ingredients.
With the mixer running, add eggs and yolks, one at a time, alternating with portions of the flour mixture. When the ingredients are combined, gently fold in the yogurt.
Pour batter into the prepared pan then bake in oven for 35-40 minutes until the cake is cooked through and firm in the middle. Set baked cake on a metal rack to cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out on rack to cool completely.
When cake is completely cooled, whisk together powdered sugar with Minneola juice, 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Spoon the glaze over the cake, it should drip down the sides as well. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the cake. Allow glaze to set before slicing and serving. Yummy!
Chocolate Orange Zucchini Bread/Cake
Banana Bread was one of the first things I learned how to bake, although I always wondered why it was considered a "bread" as it had all the sweet properties of a dessert item. Same goes for muffins. Except for the lack of frosting, I don't know how anyone can claim that those chocolate chocolate chip "muffins" from Costco aren't cupcakes. Anyway, having been gifted a couple of garden fresh zucchinis, I was interested in experimenting with the world of "breads" and what I mean is . . . "cake." After baking it up I figured, "Well, if I'm going to do the thing, I had better just do it right." So, I whipped up a vanilla glaze topping. It's not really "bread" I'll be the first to admit. But it's pretty freakin' tasty!
Ingredients
- 2 zucchinis, grated
- zest and juice from one orange
- 3/4 c. vegetable oil
- 1 c. sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 c. cocoa powder
- 1 c. chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 c. flour
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla, divided
- 1 Tbsp. butter and a little flour for greasing the pan
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease and flour a 9" round baking pan, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together zucchini, orange juice and zest, oil, sugar, 1 tsp. of vanilla, and eggs. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Whisk until batter is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan then turn out on wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl blend together milk, 1 tsp. vanilla, and powdered sugar with a hand mixer. Ingredient amounts may need to be adjusted slightly to get the desired consistency. Spoon glaze over the cooled bread/cake and allow to dry before slicing and serving. Store in an airtight container, eat for breakfast or dessert.
