Olive Oil Bundt Cake with Orange Icing - 10 Years in Berlin
Kitchen remodeling! Finally, after having been in Berlin for exactly 10 years I used this special anniversary to change a part of my kitchen that has been bugging me since my first day. When I moved into my apartment I took over an oven and a rather simple and unpractical sink/ cupboard which were already set up. The oven made space for my new one after 5 years but, somehow, the sink which was supposed to leave after a week survived 10 years. Thanks to procrastination and my indecisiveness!
So, a few weeks ago I fell in love with a white ceramic sink and I took this love at first sight as an incentive to get my kitchen project started. Although I only had a one and a half meter space for the sink, cupboard and shelves, I don't think that the planning would have taken much longer for the whole kitchen. All the little details which make it or break it (literally) were much more time consuming than expected (which explains my hesitance to get started). I didn't want to break with the look that I already have, Carrara marble kitchen tops and aluminium wall panels. White is the dominant colour which is helpful as it makes the room brighter. The only thing I did change, are the closed cupboards under and next to the sink. In the past I only had an open shelving system with metal supports and wooden racks which looks great but is rather unpractical when there is water involved.
I made the final choices when I visited my mother last week, kitchen remodeling is a perfect mother-daughter project. We spoke about materials and the layout while we sat outside on her terrace in the sunshine with a glass of chilled white wine and lots of pictures, brochures and drawings scattered all over the table. As soon as I got back home, I made my orders and prepared myself for the building, I baked a cake! I love home works and renovations but to me good catering is essential to keep up the spirit in moments of frustration and we had a few of them. My cake of choice was the juiciest, spongiest gugelhupf (bundt cake) made with lots of olive oil. I covered this piece of simple bliss in a fruity orange icing to give it a more festive anniversary look. It doesn't really need it but it made it pretty! If you're looking for a cake that you can eat with your fingers as a little snack (while you're remodeling your kitchen) or for breakfast, or if you're after an honest tea time cake with a bit of finesse, go for it! The olive oil adds some moisture without making it soggy and it leaves a subtle hint of its rich aroma.
So, it's been 10 years of Berlin and the city has been very good to me. I fell in love with it when I visited it for the first time many, many years ago and it has inspired me every day since then, it made me grow and filled me with such happiness like no other place in the world (apart from Malta). Thank you Berlin!
Olive Oil Bundt Cake with Orange Icing
For a 1 3/4l / 3 1/2 pint bundt pan you need
plain flour 250g / 9 ounces
granulated sugar 200g / 7 ounces
baking powder 3 teaspoons
a pinch of salt
organic eggs 5
olive oil 150ml / 5 ounces
milk 100ml / 3.5 ounces
orange zest 2 heaping teaspoons plus more for the topping
butter and breadcrumbs for the bundt pan
For the orange icing
icing sugar 200g / 7 ounces
freshly squeezed orange juice 3-4 tablespoons
Set the oven to 180°C / 350°F (fan-assisted oven). Butter the bundt pan well and coat generously with breadcrumbs.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Quickly mix in the eggs, olive oil and milk with an electric mixer. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 40 minutes or until golden and firm on top. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool for a few minutes, shake the pan a little and turn the cake onto a plate, let it cool completely.
Whisk the icing sugar and orange juice (spoon by spoon) until it's thick and slightly runny.
Glaze the cake with the orange icing and sprinkle with orange zest.
My favourite Chocolate Marble Cake
My favourite marble cake needs 6 eggs to turn into a bundt cake so fluffy and juicy, light and enjoyable that I just can't stop eating it. Most of the time I just sprinkle it with icing sugar but some days ask for more. When I'm in a chocolaty mood I cover it in a crunchy layer of bittersweet chocolate.
This cake is so simple but whenever I hold a slice of it in my hand and take the first bite I ask myself why I don't bake it more often. It's a typical childhood cake, a birthday party classic which had to be on every coffee table. It's also the cake my mother used to bake for my own special day. In the morning, I used to find it on my birthday table together with all my presents and it always had my name and age written on it, with colourful smarties pushed into the glossy chocolate. Two year's ago I baked it for the first time for our godchild's first birthday, with smarties of course to continue the tradition.
Chocolate Marble Cake
For a 23cm / 9″ bundt pan you need
butter 200g / 7 ounces plus 1 tablespoon for the chocolate glaze
granulated sugar 250g / 9 ounces
a pinch of fresh vanilla
organic eggs, divided, 6
a pinch of salt
milk 100ml
plain flour, sieved, 300g / 10.5 ounces
baking powder 3 teaspoons
cocoa powder 30g /1 ounce
bittersweet chocolate 200g / 7 ounces, for the topping
dry breadcrumbs to sprinkle the pan
Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F (fan-assisted oven). Butter a bundt pan and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Whisk the egg whites with the salt and 1 tablespoon of the sugar till stiff.
Combine the flour and baking powder in another bowl.
In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar and vanilla till fluffy. Add the egg yolks and continue mixing till thick, creamy and light yellow. Add the milk and mix until well. Fold the egg whites and the flour with a wooden spoon gently into the butter and egg mixture, alternating, 1/3 at a time, combining well in between.
Scrape half of the dough into the bundt pan and stir the cocoa powder into the remaining batter. Dollop the dark batter on top of the light one and swirl with a small fork through the 2 batters, carefully, from top to bottom pulling slowly all the way around the pan. Don't over mix the different batters to keep the marble pattern.
Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and spongy. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool for 2-3 minutes before you turn it around onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Melt the chocolate and mix in 1 tablespoon of butter, let it cool for 2 minutes before you drizzle it over the cake. Spread it or leave it sprinkly, as you like.
