I have a huge sweet tooth, so when I see a new cake recipe online, I am eager to test it out for myself! This blood orange olive oil cake was no exception and after a few iterations, it is a new favorite. This cake is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, but adding fresh whipped cream will make this cake more sweet than tart. If blood oranges are not in season, you can substitute for tangerines instead. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake recipe.

4 – 5 medium blood oranges or tangerines

1 1⁄3 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 1⁄4 cups extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with Bakers Joy. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and smooth it to eliminate air bubbles.

Slice oranges as thinly as possible, positioned on its side, shaving off rounds that are no thicker than 1⁄8 inch. The thinner the slices, the softer the pith will become while baking keeping the cake from being too bitter. Reserve the ends of the oranges for squeezing juice. Arrange the orange slices in an overlapping pattern across the bottom of the pan and set aside.

Squeeze the reserved ends of the blood oranges into a medium bowl until you have 2 tablespoons of juice. Add 1⁄3 cup of the sugar to the bowl with the juice and whisk until you have a smooth slurry. Pour the slurry on top of the arraigned oranges.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine and eliminate any lumps. In a small bowl, stir together the Grand Marnier, orange zest, and vanilla extract and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and the remaining 1 cup sugar starting on low to break up the eggs and gradually increasing to high, until the mixture is very light, thick, and pale, and it falls off the whisk back into the bowl in a slowly dissolving ribbon, about 5 minutes.

With the mixer still on high speed, gradually stream in the oil and beat until fully incorporated and the mixture is even thicker, it will be slightly reduced in volume. (Adding too much oil too soon will overwhelm the eggs and cause the mixture to break.)

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the Grand Marnier mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Gently pour the batter over the blood orange slices, making sure not to disturb them, and smooth the top. Transfer the cake to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake until the top is golden brown, and the center is firm to the touch, 35 to 45 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Remove the outer ring, invert the cake onto a wire rack and remove the circular base, and carefully peel away the parchment. For the best flavor and texture, wrap the cake in plastic and let it sit at room temperature for at least a day before serving.

Recipe adapted from Claire Saffitz.

Dark chocolate is no doubt my favorite dessert, especially when paired with the creamy flavor and crunch of hazelnuts. This dark chocolate ganache nut tart is not only a total crowd-pleaser but also very simple to make. I used walnuts and hazelnuts for the crust, but I have made this tart with a crust of walnut, hazelnut, and pistachio that was equally delicious. The shaved nuts on top can also be replaced with a sprinkle of sea salt, but I prefer the dark chocolate taste instead of the sharp sea salt. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Dark Chocolate Ganache Nut Tart Recipe. 

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus more room temperature for pan

2½ cups mixed raw nuts (such as walnuts, blanched hazelnuts, pistachios, and/or almonds)

¾ tsp. kosher salt

12 oz. dark chocolate (70% or more), chopped

1 ½ cups heavy cream – maybe 1 and ¼

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1″ pieces

Lightly butter tart pan with removable bottom; line with a round of parchment paper cut to fit just inside the pan. Pulse nuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Add salt and melted butter, and pulse until nuts begin to clump together and the mixture looks sandy. Evenly press mixture into bottom and up sides of the pan. Bake crust at 350 degrees until golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Let cool.

In a heat-proof bowl, add chopped chocolate and top with pieces of butter. Heat cream in a small saucepan until just beginning to simmer; immediately pour over chocolate and butter. Let sit, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. Whisk chocolate until smooth and glossy. Pour ganache into the crust and smooth out any bubbles. Chill, until set, at least 1 hour. Remove tart from pan; sprinkle shaved nuts on top. Slice into wedges with a hot knife.

This strawberry rhubarb pie is the perfect summer treat! It is tart with just a hint of sweetness and is best served chilled. I included my standard pie crust recipe below but doubled it so there is enough dough for the lattice on top. Do not skip over the note to fully let this pie chill. I know it smells amazing right out of the oven, but it has to have time to set properly or the filling will run everywhere. If you like sweeter desserts over tart desserts, I recommend adding an additional ¼ cup of light brown sugar to the filling. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. 

Crust

Filling

1 ½ pounds rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 pounds strawberries, hulled, halved, quartered if large

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar

5 tablespoons cornstarch

Pinch of kosher salt

1 large egg

1 tablespoon raw sugar

Preheat the oven to 425°. Let dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften. Working one at a time, roll out two disks on a lightly floured surface (about ⅛” thick). Carefully transfer 1 dough round to the pie dish (make sure it’s a deep pie dish). Lift edges and allow the dough to slump down into dish, trim, leaving about a 1″ overhang.

In a large bowl, add rhubarb, strawberries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix well. Gently scrape filling into dough-filled pie dish.

Cut the remaining round of dough into ½-inch strips. Lay strips in a lattice pattern over the filling and crimp edge as desired. Beat egg with 1 tsp. water in a small bowl and lightly brush over top of the dough. Sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake pie for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°. Continue to bake until crust is deep golden brown and juices are thick and bubbling, 60-75 minutes longer.

Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool at least 4 hours before serving. Yes, it smells amazing, but if you don’t give it time to set up properly, the filling will be runny when you cut into it.

Valentine’s Day is coming up and since we will most likely be eating dinner at home (again), I am testing desserts that will complement our meal. I am a little biased because dark chocolate and raspberries are my favorite combination, but this tart might be the winner. This chocolate raspberry tart is the perfect balance of bitter chocolate and sweet raspberries, with a crisp graham cracker crust. I have not planned the rest of our meal, but this tart will pair well with any beef or fish meal. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Chocolate Raspberry Tart Recipe.

10 ounces graham crackers

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 ounces 70% bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 pound raspberries 

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch