Summer is here. Bake something summery :)

September 18, 2011

Red Currant Citrus Olive Oil Cake


I know that everybody knows, but I simply have to repeat it. School's back. It starts on the first of September here in the Czech Republic and this year it was on Thursday. Okay, I know how imporant it is to educate ourselves but to be completely honest, I hate going to school. We have nine hours every day except for Monday and Friday and I really "love" when the teachers test us from Math, Physics and Biology in the same day. However, I guess I'm gonna hate especially this year the most because I'm in the fourth grade which means...leaving exams (aka maturita in Czech). So, I'm extremely happy for every single day free of learning. Unfortunately, the only free day I have is Friday afternoon and that sucks. Anyway, here I have a fast recipe if you crave something sweet and don't have much time like me these days :)


Even though summer season is almost over, I think some of you may find this recipe quite useful. I usually store my leftover summer berries in my freezer. In fact, I don't have a freezer as I have been told by my English teacher. I have a fridge-freezer which means that the freezer part is really small and I can't store there too many things. That's why I'm always happy to bake something using these frozen thingies :) And when a very nice woman who calls herself farfalla gave me a tip about this recipe by Apetit, I simply couldn't resist.


I adapted the recipe only slightly, maybe the changes aren't almost noticable, but at least I can include a few tips. This post won't be long at all as I have to focus on psychology right now (yes, you're right, I'm writing a test on Tuesday). I managed to prepare the cake within an hour which is in fact my record :D So if you have some red currants (either fresh or frozen, but not dried), sweet tooth and no time and, search no more :)

Ingredients:
300g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
180g (3/4 cup) butter, melted
100ml (2/5 cup) extra virgine olive oil
150ml (3/5 cup) milk
1 vanilla pod
400g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
grated zest from 2 lemons
grated zest from 2 oranges
700g (6 cups) red currants
icing sugar to taste

Directions:
In a bowl, combine sifted flour, baking powder, salt and set aside. In a large bowl, beat sugar and eggs until light and fluffy (about 10 minutes), then beat in melted butter, oil, milk, grated zest from lemons and oranges and vanilla seeds scraped out from the pod. Now gently fold in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Finally fold in 1/3 of the red currants. Transfer the batter into a greased and floured baking sheet (30x40cm) and smooth the top evenly. Bake in preheated oven to 180C for 10 minutes (not longer!), carefully remove from oven and sprinkle the top with the rest of the red currants (gently push them into the batter) and icing sugar if desired. Continue baking for 20-30 minutes or until golden. Remove, let cool and serve.


Verdict:
I found the recipe pretty tempting because of the olive oil and citruses. Also it's the first time I've made a cake with red currants without any creamy/nutty filling. I have to say the cake is very refreshing, moist and tasty. I like the soft sponge-like batter with intensive lemon and orange taste and nice vanilla aroma, but I admitt that I missed some kind of filling to complement the sourness of the red currant. The rest of my family shared that opinion although they ate it as if they haven't eaten for ages :D Anyway, it's a great tasting cake especially if you don't like overly sweet baked goods and enjoy some sourness here and there. Oh, and it smells absolutely wonderful!

 
Linked to:
Sweet Tooth Friday
Sweet Indulgences Sunday
These Chicks Cooked
Foodie Wednesday
Sweets for a Saturday
Whisking Wednesdays

15 comments:

  1. That looks so delicious, Catalina! I love the citrus profile! My mouth is watering right now :o)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've never baked with currants but they are absolutely gorgeous! I love the brilliant color! They look delicious. Thanks for sharing on Sweet Indulgences Sunday.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a stunning cake! Absolutely beautiful! I'd love a slice for my breakfast :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. They look moist and beautiful! Take treats to the teachers. Maybe they will give you good grades! lol...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love how gorgeous and eye catching this is. Red desserts always make me happy. Thanks for linking up to Sweets for a Saturday.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is beautiful and so unique! Can't wait to try this dish.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Being older than you, I can tell you that your feelings with respect to school will change. High school was not easy for me as well. Things get better after that. Red currants are really pretty: I wish I had a bush or two of them. The cake looks lovely. Don't let school wear you down ;)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Renata: Thank you, Renata! I have exactly the same feelings when I visit your blog :)

    Kim McCallie: Thank you :) I hope you'll try to use them in baking one day, because they are quite delicious :)

    Lizzy: Thank you so much! I wish I could give you some :D

    Betsy: Thank you! In fact, that's a really good idea, I'll have to do that :D

    Lisa: Thank you a lot :) I love your link party!

    Beth - Slice of Southern: I'm so happy you like the recipe! Let me know when you try them out and thank you :)

    Three-Cookies: Thank you soooo much :)

    Simona: Thank you for your support! I really can't wait for this last high-school year to be over :D It's great to read that it'll get better because I usually hear that I'll want to go back to school, but in my opinion, work is better than high school :D And thank you for your nice comment about the cake :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I want to try this! I love the that that it's adjusted to busy schedules.
    If I do not have red currants in my country, what would you recommend? ...I was thinking about certain berries, but would like to hear your suggestions.

    Thanks again for converting the measurements!

    Bundle

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bundle: Oh yes, great things don't always have to be the most difficult and time consuming :D As for the berries, in fact you may use any type - I think that blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or even fresh cranberries (though these are quite sour so maybe it'd need more sugar) would be great :) You're welcome, actually I'm really grateful for your suggestion about the measurements, I think it's a great idea :) Let me know when you try it out and what kind of berries you decide to use :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you for visiting my Whisking Wednesday party last week. I hope to see you again this week! What an incredibly vibrant picture, wow, yum!

    http://pinchofthisthatandtheother.blogspot.com/2011/09/whisking-wednesdays-19.html

    ReplyDelete
  12. ryobious: You're welcome and thank you :) I can't wait to link up another recipe :))

    ReplyDelete
  13. i really like your food pictures and want to invite you to try out tastingspot.com. it's for anyone that just wants another place to submit photos and share it will other foodies. It’s still in beta version, but would love for you to start adding some photos and help get it going.

    ReplyDelete
  14. foodie @ Tasting Spot: Thank you so much! I'm so happy you like the photos, it really does mean a lot to me! I've already signed up :) And in my opinion it's a great site and a brilliant idea :)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope you find here what you're looking for or something new :) If you like the post, have some notes or questions, please let me know by commenting :) I really appreciate any reaction (either positive or negative) and I'll try to respond as soon as possible :)