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that’s enough

March 03 2011 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Breakfast,Dessert,Recipe » 26 comments

It’s been one of those weeks. The weeks where you feel like you’re hanging on for dear life, one day hurtling toward the next, and then the next. Suddenly, it’s nearly Friday and you’ve barely caught your breath since Monday. Barely stopped to think. Barely said boo to your husband.

But so much of it has been good—the kind of good that’s completely out of the ordinary, in the best ways—so you can’t complain. Your sister-in-law got engaged. (!!!) Your sister came to town. (!!!) The sun has been out all week. (!!!) It’s been light out well before 7 a.m. and enough past 5 p.m. to make a difference. (!!!)

And also? It’s March. March!

But the quiet, normal moments have been missing. Leaving me out of sorts. Leaving me feeling like I miss the guy I sleep next to every night. Two ships, and all that.

So, it’s been nice to know this week that I’ve been sending him off to work each morning, whether he’s leaving the house after me or before me, with a slice of orange-rind-flecked, olive oil-spiked cornmeal cake. And, this week, that’s enough.

Blood Orange Cornmeal Cake
Adapted Slightly from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for pan
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar, plus 1/3 cup for topping
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed blood orange juice
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 cup coarse-ground yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Finely grated zest of 2 blood oranges

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with oil; line bottom with a round of wax or parchment paper, and brush paper with oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, 1 cup sugar, and juice until smooth. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and orange zest; whisk gently to combine.

Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1/3 cup sugar (topping will be thick). Bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool in pan 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert cake gently onto a plate, and remove parchment paper. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely. Serve with orange segments, if desired.

26 comments so far. »
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h says on March 03 2011 at 10:11 pm:

ooo this looks so yummy!!!
beth says on March 04 2011 at 7:12 am:

ooh this is one of my very favorite cakes – love the blood orange adaptation! looks amazing. bet it’s great with cara cara too
Julie says on March 04 2011 at 8:00 am:

Citrus, citrus everywhere! I love all of the recipes emerging at this time of year that include grapefruits and clementines and blood oranges. A little bit of a wake up call for a tired (and somewhat jaded) winter palate. Have this firmly at the top of my “to try” recipe pile.
Jess (Sweet Potato) says on March 04 2011 at 8:12 am:

I have had the same kind of week. Actually, the past two weeks have both been that way… is it summer yet??
Ayse nysdelight says on March 04 2011 at 10:03 am:

That looks incredible a corn meal cake! & Blood orange..great combination & Im excited its March as well.
Monica says on March 04 2011 at 10:39 am:

Such beautiful pictures, Kristin! I think I need to make this cake pretty much immediately.
Joanne says on March 04 2011 at 11:19 am:

Some weeks we’ve just gotta do what we can. And sometimes all we can do is to make magic out of flour and sugar. This sounds like one delicious cake!
Elizabeth says on March 04 2011 at 12:06 pm:

This looks like a perfect breakfast cake. Enjoy those beautiful blood oranges while they’re still in season!
laura @ alittlebarefoot says on March 04 2011 at 6:29 pm:

this looks like the best cake ever! i look blood orange, and i love cornmeal – sold!
Shaheen {The Purple Foodie} says on March 05 2011 at 9:32 am:

I’ve always been skeptical about trying cornmeal in cakes. And how I wish we got blood oranges here!
emily says on March 06 2011 at 7:51 am:

this looks SO SO good! I love anything with cornmeal in it- it makes it taste so rich and nutty. This place next to my house uses it to dust pizza (instead of flour) and it is deliciousss!
molly says on March 06 2011 at 10:18 am:

oh me, oh my, this is so exactly what i’m in the mood for…
Elizabeth says on March 07 2011 at 9:47 am:

The cake looks delicious – I can’t wait to test one out myself. What a well written post.
Avoid Stomping Around | The Rowdy Chowgirl says on March 08 2011 at 10:09 pm:

[...] (very slightly adapted from The Kitchen Sink Recipes) [...]
Barbara says on March 10 2011 at 7:00 am:

Perfect! Not only blood oranges, but cornmeal. This looks marvelous!
warda says on March 11 2011 at 8:33 am:

Spring and this cake makes everything feels better. I love the cracked crust. Is coarse cornmeal the same as polenta? Have a restful end of the week!
kristin eldridge photography says on March 15 2011 at 10:12 am:

Looks delicious…I love blood oranges. They’re so pretty to look at too!
Sabine says on March 15 2011 at 2:11 pm:

I’m new to your blog so I have to say: your pictures are beautiful and I already really like your blog!
This sounds like a great spring cake! Nice and light, to keep us warm through the last bits of winter.
Dorothy at Belle of the Kitchen says on March 15 2011 at 4:44 pm:

I know exactly what you mean! The past three weeks have been incredibly busy for both me and my husband. Hopefully this weekend will bring a reprieve; this week is mid-term week, after all. I imagine this cake would be perfect for Saturday morning, enjoyed with a cup of tea.
Kirsten says on March 16 2011 at 11:10 pm:

I’m right there with ya. Your words described perfectly where I am at in my week, that I am trying not to bawl. So, thank you. Thanks for this post and for your beautiful photographs. And where the hell did you get that beautiful stump platter?! You rock, lady friend. Oh, and I want to eat that whole cake right now. Yum
Elizabeth says on March 22 2011 at 10:21 am:

This cake has it all! I adore citrus and cornmeal. So glad I found your site.
Sweets by Vicky says on March 24 2011 at 5:57 pm:

Cornmeal in cake always makes it sound so rustic and warming instantly. I hope that all the madness you’re feeling gets a lot better soon. Or else, at least make sure you’ve got great cake on hand.
emily says on March 30 2011 at 5:28 pm:

yum. thank you for sharing this recipe. i have a version with whole wheat pastry flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, and turbinado sugar in the oven right now. smells fantastic.
Claire says on April 05 2011 at 8:45 am:

I made this last week, and it was as delicious! I’d never used blood oranges in anything before and was surprised at their unique taste.The cake was moist and lightly sweet: I decided it would be good for a special breakfast Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
Brooke (The Flour Sack) says on May 01 2011 at 10:25 am:

This. Looks. Delicious. I LOVE olive oil and citrus cakes. Must make asap!
Laura says on April 12 2012 at 2:34 pm:

I’ve now made this twice in two weeks, to rave reviews both times! I think I just missed the end of blood orange season, so substituted Cara Cara oranges. Thank you for a wonderful recipe..