Blueberry Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

This recipe came about when looking at a cherry upside down cake but wanting to use this bunch of local blueberries we'd just picked up from the Franklin Farmer's Market... and really, I bet any berry could work here as well as Cherries... but maybe next time I make it, I'd cut back some on on the bluberries. Although - thinking back, the amount of blueberries tasted right, just doesn't look as pretty when so overloaded with them. Oh well - not gonna complain. This recipe was delicious and would probably have been even better with a scoop of buttermilk ice cream or some sweetened mascarpone on top. (yes, I have a sick love affair with buttermilk.)
This also is a great cake because its not overly sweet - yes its dessert, so its sweet... but the cornmeal adds a nice contrast in adding almost a savory aspect to it.. as well as the balsamic vinegar! yum! I bet if I had the time and patience, I could live off recipes involving buttermilk and balsamic vinegar.

Blueberry Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake
serves 8-12, depending on how generous you are
adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

• 3/4c (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided.
• 1/4c (packed) dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 3c bluberries (though you could probably get away with 2)
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground medium grind)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (I bet almond extract would be nice, too)
  
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine 1/4c butter with brown sugar and balsamic vinegar in a 10" or 11" ovenproof skillet with 2" sides, preferably cast iron. Heat over medium heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves, stirring often. Increase heat to high, add blueberries and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, & salt. Using electric mixer, beat 1/2c butter with sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
   
4. Using dry beaters in a separate clean bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry. (I say, if you can hold the bowl upside down over your head and the egg whites don't fall out, you're there... although I'd hate to see what happens if they're not ready!) Using rubber spatula, fold 1/4 egg whites into batter to lighten up. Then add remainder of egg whites in 3 additions, gently folding so not to lose the volume. Batter will be thick!
   
5. Spread batter over blueberries in the skillet and use an offset spatula to evenly spread over all bluberries and cover completely.
6. Place cake in center of the oven and bake until top is golden brown and cake tester comes out clean... I'd say start checking after 35 minutes... though could take up to 45 minutes. The smaller the skillet, the longer this cake will take to bake.
7. Cool in skillet for 5 minutes. Run spatula around the edges of the skillet to loosen cake from sides. Place large serving platter on top of the skillet and then very carefully, as well as swiftly, with potholders in hands, plate firmly held to skillet... invert the skillet over! Leave skillet atop platter for an additional 5 minutes to let the topping start to gain its new position. Remove skillet......... and.... hopefully........ you will have a beautiful upside-down cake! Now its very possible a few rogue blueberries decided they wanted to remain in the skillet, so a little positioning of these blueberries may be in order. Thats ok, no one is going to notice. Let cake cool at least 45 minutes and then cut into wedges to serve. Can be served warm, or at room temperature... but I bet you this cake tastes delicious cold, too!

Enjoy!

Lauren

Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

courtesy of the New York Times

The New York Times is one of my favorite places to find new recipes. I enjoy them because they usually are accompanied by some sort of story of how the recipe evolved whether it be a dietary restriction, as in the case of this recipe, a seasonal ingredient, a family heirloom, or just the health benefits of a certain ingredient. Not only that, and most importantly, most of the recipes I have found here actually appeal to me more often than not. Furthermore, they don't disappoint.

I was intrigued by this recipe because it uses olive oil as the fat base. I can't remember a time when I've ever used olive oil in a sweet recipe so I decided why not now? I also just love using blood oranges, more for their look than taste. Something about the red flesh contrasting against the orange skin and white pith is very aesthetically pleasing. I took some pictures of my own but haven't had time to upload them. So here's a fancy one from Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times.

The result was a very moist cake. Three days later the cake is tastes as it did the first day - moist, rich, and full of citrus.

Ingredients

• Butter for greasing pan
• 3 blood oranges
• 1 cup sugar
• Buttermilk or plain yogurt ( I used yogurt, roughly 1/3rd cup)
  
• 3 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• dash of nutmeg
• Sugar glaze, optional (see note)
  
• Honey-blood orange compote, for serving, optional (see note)
• Whipped cream, for serving, optional.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Grate zest from 2 oranges and place in a bowl with sugar. Using your fingers, rub ingredients together until orange zest is evenly distributed in sugar.

2. Supreme an orange: Cut off bottom and top so fruit is exposed and orange can stand upright on a cutting board. Cut away peel and pith, following curve of fruit with your knife. Cut orange segments out of their connective membranes and let them fall into a bowl. Repeat with another orange. Break up segments with your fingers to about 1/4-inch pieces.

3. Halve remaining orange and squeeze juice into a measuring cup. You will have about 1/3 cup or so. Add buttermilk or yogurt to juice until you have 2/3 cup liquid altogether. If using yogurt, as I did, make sure to whisk the yogurt into the liquid so you have an accurate reading. Pour mixture into bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in eggs.

4. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add a dash of nutmeg and season to your preference. Gently whisk dry ingredients into wet ones. Switch to a spatula and fold in oil a little at a time. Fold in pieces of orange segments. Scrape batter into pan and smooth top.

5. Bake cake for about 50 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up.

Here the NYT suggested serving with whipped cream and honey-blood orange compote. I, however, made a glaze instead of 10x sugar combined with a touch of almond extract. I then added water until I got it to a slightly runny consistency. Poke some holes in the cake after it comes out of the oven and then drizzle the sugar mix on. After a few minutes it should harden forming a sugary shell on top.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Note: To make a honey-blood orange compote, supreme 3 more blood oranges according to directions in Step 2. Drizzle in 1 to 2 teaspoons honey. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir gently.

Boun Appetito!
-Lindsay