Olive Oil & Orange Cake with Pistachios

Soooo, I was working at the CeBIT Computer Expo two weeks ago. For the oblivious ones among you (read: probably everyone), CeBIT is the largest IT fair in the world. Attending a fair that is the “barometer of the state of the art of computer technology” (thank you, Wikipedia) is pretty amazing, huh? Well, I wouldn’t know. I was busy ruining people’s days. All day, every day. 

I was working at one of the entrances making sure that only those who were supposed to enter actually got in. That included telling families with children that they could not attend (you had to be at least 16) despite having valid (and pricey, I may add) tickets and coming all the way from France/Greece/Norway/whatever. People don’t like to hear it and I don’t like telling them. It was a lose-lose situation, really.  I didn’t make the rules. It was not my fault but I was there, so I was hit by their fury. And all I could do was stay calm, smile and apologise.  I mean, it’s not like it wasn’t written directly on the ticket in big bold letters but what can you do…

Anyways. Breaks lasted from five to thirty minutes, depending on how busy it was which even in a best-case scenario is not enough time to really see anything. The furthest I got was to the hall right behind the entrance. And what did it have? Robots? Future Social Media? 3D technologies (It was all there, somewhere)? No. Effing Ethernet hubs, switches and routers. But there were stalls giving away free lattes and popcorn, so I had carbs and caffeine to keep my spirits (and heart rate) up. 

The recipe I share today is not mine but adapted from dear blogger friend Rowena over at Apron and Sneakers who posted it merely a week ago. The moment I saw this cake I had cravings. Cravings for something I have never eaten before. The concoction was just so intriguing and her presentation so appealing that I thought about it all week so when I finally had some time to spare on the weekend, I was a man on a mission when I hit the street market. 

Let’s just say, the cake did not disappoint. It’s amazing! While it’s not her cake per se, she made several changes and additions. All of them are an improvement, in my opinion, and are what really makes this cake so scrumptious and moist. 

Olive Oil & Orange Cake with Pistachios
Adapted from Apron and Sneakers.

Rowena wrote it makes two 22cm round cakes, but just like her I made one big cake. Mine had a Ø of 26cm. While I, too, made a few very minor changes, it is essentially her recipe that you see here.

For the cake:

• 400g (14 oz) pastry flour, sifted  (plus additional for the baking pan)
• 250g (8.8 oz) sugar
• 200ml (6.75 fl. oz) olive oil (plus additional for the baking pan)
• 4 eggs, divided
• Grated zest of one untreated orange
• 250ml (8.45 fl. oz) freshly squeezed orange juice
• 40g (1.4 oz) ground pistachios
• 1ts baking powder
• Seeds of one vanilla pod

For the syrup:

• 250g (8.8 oz) sugar
• 250ml (8.45 fl. oz) freshly squeezed orange juice
• Zest of half an orange (I simply forgot about it, to be honest)
• 1 orange, sliced thinly

 

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Grease & flour baking pan.
3. Whip egg whites until stiff, refrigerate.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and vanilla seeds until fluffy. 
5. Add sugar, whisking continuously.
6. Add olive oil little by little, keep whisking.  
7. Add sifted flour, baking powder and orange zest.  Mix well.
8. Add orange juice little by little, mixing well.
9. Fold in egg whites.  
10. Pour mass in baking pan. 
11. Sprinkle top with crushed pistachios. 
12. Bake for 40 minutes (30 if you make two smaller cakes.) with oven vent on (mine became suspiciously dark after 20 minutes, so I turned it off again).  Check centre with a toothpick.  If it comes out clean, it's cooked.
13. Let it cool off a little.  Make sure cake is loosened from sides of the pan while still left inside.

While the cake is baking:

1. In a small pot, combine sugar, orange juice and zest (that I forgot, like I said) over low heat until sugar has dissolved
2. Add orange slices.  Move them carefully in the saucepan.
3. Increase heat and boil for 5 - 6 minutes or until syrup thickens.

Final touches:

1. With a toothpick, prick little holes evenly into the cake
2. Pour over half of the hot syrup little by little, letting it soak into the cake.
3. Carefully remove from pan.
4. Cover the top of the cake with the orange slices and sprinkle with crushed pistachios.
5. Let the cake cool.
6. To serve, cut the cake and pour over remaining syrup.

Enjoy!

Parsnip Dumplings with Scallion & Bacon Filling

Spring is on like donkey kong!

Not forgotten are the icy claws of winter still clenching this part of the world, numbing both nature and minds with its dull, dreary megrim. There are people who gain strength from this quiet melancholia. People who find inner peace and unbend. To me, winter is the time I am trying with all my might not to get in a funk. I am generally rather susceptible for winter blues and January and February are the worst.

However, the last few days made it clear that Persephone is slowly taking her first steps out of the underworld again. Temperatures are rising and sunbeams are hitting earth with a warmth last felt months ago. Spring is a-coming. One can feel, smell and see it. The emphasis was clearly on see when I walked through the garden this week and was greeted by these little fellas:

Not winter anymore, but not quite spring just yet. A time between seasons.

This is what I was trying to express through this week's recipe. I've tried combining ingredients that represent winter and spring. I have found them in parsnips representing winter, and scallions representing spring. The result are these dumplings that have an earthy and warming note at first that becomes lighter and fresher once you hit the centre. Dumplings of that kind can commonly be found especially in Northern and Central Europe, where they are normally served as a side to roasts for soaking up the sauce or gravy or in a smaller variation in soups. I kept it simple and served them to steaks, but due to the concoction, it would also work well with venison because of the parsnip and fish or chicken thanks to the scallions.

Making these kind of dumplings can be a bit tricky at first as the dough is rather on the sticky side, but I'll do my best with my comments. ;)

Parsnip Dumplings with Scallion and Bacon Filling

Makes 10 dumplings

• 100g (3.5 oz.) scallions, cut into thin rings
• 1 ts butter
• 2 ts of parsley, finely chopped. 
• 50g (1.8 oz.) lean bacon, cut into small cubes about 5mm (0.2'') in length and height (If you only have slices, that's alright as well.)
• 500g (17.5 oz.) parsnips, cooked and cooled down
• 500g (17.5 oz.) potatoes, cooked and cooled down
• 250g (8.8 oz.) potato flour (can be substituted with corn starch)
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• More parsley for garnish

1. In a small pot, melt butter on high heat.
2. Add scallions and toss them quickly so that they are just heated through.
3. Lower heat and add bacon, pepper and parsley, keeping it cooking for about another 30 seconds (the bacon does not need to be completely cooked). Set aside.
4. In a large pot. Heat up water to the point close to simmering. Add salt and remain on low heat (the water should not even simmer or the dumplings become soggy later).
5. Combine potatoes, parsnips and the egg.
6. Purée with a masher, an immersion blender or a food processor as finely as possible. Transfer mass into a large bowl if it is not there already.
7. Stir in salt and potato flour with a wooden spoon (about a level tablespoon of salt worked for me.)
8. With wet hands, grab a hand full of dough, forming it into a disc with a dent in the centre for the filling.
9. Add a teaspoon of filling. Fold sides of the disc together, enclosing the filling. Form into a ball. (This part is way more difficult to describe than to perform. It simply is the process of getting the filling into the dumpling. Keeping your hands wet here is key or the dough will stick recklessly to your palms. If the dough is still too sticky, add a bit more potato flour to the mass.)
10. Lay into hot water.
11. Repeat steps 8-10 for all dumplings. The dumplings are done when they float to the surface by themselves which can take up to 20 minutes. You may want to stir them once in the water to make sure they don't stick to the ground. The water should not even simmer so keep on lowest heat.
12. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Enjoy!