Olive Oil Cake With Roasted Grapes Chocolate Ganache Food

GRAPE OLIVE OIL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat until shimmering. Carefully pour in 2 cups of the grapes, being mindful that the oil may pop or splash. Add the thyme. Sprinkle the grapes with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the grapes soften and the sugar dissolves into a thin syrup, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool the syrup in the skillet. Once cooled, remove and discard the thyme. The syrup will thicken as it cools.
• Meanwhile, make the cake batter. Combine the cake flour, baking powder and the remaining teaspoon fine salt in a medium bowl. Add the granulated sugar, eggs and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar into a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat the egg mixture on medium speed until thickened and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add the almond extract. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the remaining 3/4 cup olive oil. Continue mixing until the olive oil is emulsified into the batter. Turn off the mixer and add half of the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the ingredients are incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed, then pour in the milk. Turn off the mixer and add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the batter comes together, scraping down the bowl as needed.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Stud the top of the cake with the remaining 1 cup grapes. Bake until the cake is golden brown and pulling away from the side of the pan, about 1 hour 40 minutes. The surface of the cake should look dry and slightly cracked.
• Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan. When ready to serve, garnish each slice of cake generously with the grape syrup.

OLIVE OIL AND GRAPE CAKE WITH HONEY GRAPE GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
• Whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon zest and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the olive oil and vanilla. Beat in half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk, and then the remaining flour, beating until just incorporated. Add about three-quarters of the grapes and gently fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Gently press the remaining grapes just barely into the surface of the cake. Bake until the cake is golden brown, pulling away from the sides and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool 10 minutes, then remove the springform rim and continue to cool completely.
• Serve the cake with whipped cream and drizzled with Honey Grape Glaze.
• Put the grapes, honey and lemon juice in a medium saucepan with 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and smashing the grapes, until the grapes have broken down and the syrup is slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain the mixture into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids before discarding. Let cool before drizzling on the cake.

OLIVE OIL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-in. fluted tube pan. In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in oil. Beat in ground almonds, milk, orange zest and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; fold into egg mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. For icing, in a small bowl, whisk confectioners' sugar and enough orange juice to reach a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cake. If desired, sprinkle with almonds.

CHOCOLATE OLIVE OIL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Grease your springform pan with a little oil and line the base with parchment paper.
• Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl or pitcher and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.
• In another smallish bowl, combine the almond meal (or all-purpose flour) with the baking soda and pinch of salt.
• Put the sugar, olive oil, and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes, until you have a pale-primrose, aerated, and thickened cream.
• Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in, you can slowly tip in the almond meal (or all-purpose flour) mixture.
• Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula, then pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very center, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.
• Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its pan, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the pan. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some ice cream, as a dessert.

OLIVE OIL CAKE WITH ROASTED GRAPES & CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Roast the grapes: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325. Place grapes on baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Roast until soft and shriveled, about 1 hour. Let cool completely.
• Make the cake: Grease 9 inch springform cake pan with oil or butter. Increase oven temperature to 350. In a small bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until lightened in color, about 3 minutes. Whisk in orange zest, followed by olive oil and orange juice. Add dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk until no clumps are left. Stir in roasted grapes.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top, tapping pan to make sure grapes are evenly distributed. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. If top is starting to get too brown, cover with foil and continue baking.
• Let cake cool for 15 minutes then release from springform pan to continue to cool. Meanwhile, make the ganache.
• Make the ganache: Place cream, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When cream comes to a boil, take off heat and add in chocolate, stirring until chocolate is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth.
• Place cooled cake on a cake rack set over a baking sheet or other large dish. Pour glaze over the cake (there will be overflow) and smooth over top and sides using an offset spatula. Transfer cake to refrigerator and chill until glaze is set, about 20 minutes. Keep cake in refrigerator, loosely covered with plastic wrap, if not eating right away.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE WITH SEA SALT, OLIVE OIL & TOASTS

Steps:

• Heat the cream in a heavy-bottomed pan until it is warm but not boiling (you don't want to overheat the chocolate, so be careful not to overdo it). Take the pan off the heat, then add the chocolate to the pan with the cream and leave to melt for a while, then beat with a wooden spoon. At first it looks like it won't go smooth, but it will. Leave to cool and set. You can also chill it, but take it out of the fridge before serving so that it isn't too firm or 'fridge cold'.
• Cut the bread into fine slices and toast on each side (the best way is under the grill, but watch it like a hawk). Serve the ganache in glasses in small scoops. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Brush the toast with more olive oil and serve with the ganache.