Orange Almond Cake

I haven't actually tried this recipe yet, but it looks fantastic. I'll make notes if I try anything a little different.

From: http://shecraves.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/02/orange_almond_c.html

3 oranges (or 6 clementines, tangerines, or 4 Meyer lemons)

water for boiling

6 eggs

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (1/4 cup more for lemons)

2 1/2 cups ground almonds

1 teaspoon baking powder

superfine sugar for dusting

whipped cream

dark chocolate shavings

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
2. Place the fruit in the pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for about two hours until it's tender all the way through (pierces easily with a knife, "like butta" as they say).
3. Cut the fruit in quarters and fish out the white pips (the big chunk of white membrance usually at two points in the fruit). Then put the fruit into the food processor and puree. Pith, skin, and fruit—everything.
4. Add the eggs and pulse until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Pour into two prepared 9-inch cake pans or one 8-inch springform pan (buttered and parchment-lined). Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about an hour.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan. When it's cooled, unmold and sprinkle with superfine sugar. Serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

TIPS:
*You can make the cake ahead. It keeps for up to four days. After that the cake will resemble anything that sits still outside in a Seattle winter—mold and perhaps even moss will start to grow.

*You can even make components of the recipe in advance. For instance, I ground my own almonds (with the blanched slivered almonds from the bulk bin) one day to use later in the week. And you can poach the oranges to use another day. Just keep them covered and in the fridge until you're ready for some CuisinArt fun.

Vegan Spice Cake

1 1/4 cups flour

3 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon clove

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup water (approximately)

1. Stir together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, spices and salt.
2. Cream sugar, oil, lemon juice and vanilla.
3. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, a little at a time, alternating with up to 1 cup of water.
4. Mix briskly with fork until thoroughly blended.
5. Pour into lightly greased and floured 8 or 9 inch square pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cake tests done.
6. Let cool in pan.

Lemon Cake

From: Food Network

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/2 c. granulated sugar

4 XL eggs, room temperature

1/3 c. grated lemon zest (only the yellow part of the lemon peel, not the white part)

3 c. flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

3/4 c. fresh lemon juice

3/4 c. buttermilk (or milk with a 1 t. of vinegar mixed)

1 t. pure vanilla extract

2 c. confectioner's (powdered) sugar

3 1/2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 cake pan (or two 8x4 loaf pans.)
2. Cream butter and 2 c. granulated sugar. Add eggs one at a time.
3. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a third bowl mix 1/4 c. lemon juice, buttermilk, and vanilla.
5. Slowly add flour and buttermilk mixtures to the creamed butter.
6. Spread batter in pan(s).
7. Bake for 35 to 45 min for 9x13 pan or up to an hour for 8x4 pans.
8. Combine 1/2 c. granulated sugar and 1/2 c. lemon juice in a small sauce pan. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. After cooling the cakes for 10 min, stab holes in the cake with a knife, then spoon the lemon juice/sugar mixture over the cake.
9. For the glaze combine confectioner's sugar and 3 1/2 T. lemon juice in a bowl. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Wacky Cake

1 1/2 c. flour

3 T. Dutch process cocoa powder

1/2 t. salt

1 c. sugar

1 t. baking soda

2 t. vanilla

1 t. white vinegar

6 T. canola oil

1 c. cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Sift all the dry ingredients together into a bowl. Mix together.
2. Make 3 small holes in the mixture. Pour the vanilla in one hole, the vinegar in another, and canola oil in another.
3. Pour water over the top and mix.
4. Pour into a lightly greased 8x8 inch pan.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 min.

Orange Spice Tea Cake

Adapted from: foodnetwork.com

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. whole-wheat flour

1 c. sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. all-spice or cardamom

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

2 T. grated orange zest (be careful to only use the orange part and not the white part, or else the cake will be bitter)

3/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice (yes, in this recipe it makes a difference if you don't squeeze it yourself)

1/4 c. dark molasses

1 large egg

1 T. canola oil

1/2 c. ground walnuts or almonds (really finely chopped is ok too)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5 bread pan.
2. Combine flour, spices, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate, non-metal bowl combine orange zest, orange juice, molasses, egg, and oil.
4. Slowly mix flour mixture with the wet ingredients.
5. Stir in walnuts or almonds.
6. Pour into the greased bread pan and bake for about 1 hour, until a toothpick stabbed in the middle comes out clean.