pour of olive oil, just in case you forget you’re in Italy.
A bit of minced fresh rosemary infuses this cake with a familiar, yet elusive flavor. I wouldn’t dream of leaving the rosemary out. Polenta gives the cake a rustic feel; you can use stone-ground cornmeal instead to make a cake with a more refined texture that retains that agreeable crunch. As for the olive oil, use one that’s strong and fruity; its flavor is more important than its provenance.
1 tablespoon plus ½ cup (4 ounces/115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons plus 4 teaspoons finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons (20 g) plus ¾ cup (130 g) polenta or stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup (125 ml) olive oil
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon almond extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⅓ cups (265 g) sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Smear the 1 tablespoon butter all over the inside of a 10-cup (2.5-liter) Bundt cake or tube pan. Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons rosemary evenly into the pan, then dust with the 2 tablespoons (20 g) polenta, tilting the pan to coat the sides.
To make the cake, into a small bowl, sift together the flour, ¾ cup (130 g) polenta, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, eggs, egg yolks, and almond or vanilla extract.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the ½ cup (4 ounces/ 115 g) butter and the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly dribble in the egg mixture, a little at a time, until completely incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture along with the 4 teaspoons rosemary just until incorporated. Don’t overmix.
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool for about 30 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving plate.
SERVING: This cake goes well with whipped cream flavored with grappa or Tangy Lemon Frozen Yogurt .
STORAGE: The cake will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days, well wrapped. It can be frozen for up to 2 months.
VARIATION: You can add ⅓ cup (35 g) finely chopped candied orange peel or candied angelica to the dry ingredients. If using angelica, omit the rosemary in the batter but keep the small amount used for the pan preparation.
It’s nice to serve slices of peaches or nectarines with the cake when they’re in season. During winter months, I’ll poach pears with saffron and honey, whose juices mingle nicely with the cake: In a medium nonreactive saucepan, bring ½ cup (125 ml) honey and 3 cups (750 ml) water to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer and add 25 saffron threads and 2 strips lemon zest, each 1 inch (3 cm) wide. Peel, quarter, and core 3 Bosc pears and add them to the poaching liquid. Place a circle of parchment paper over the fruit and simmer gently until a paring knife inserted into the fruit meets no resistance, about 10 minutes.
Coconut Layer Cake
MAKES ONE 9-INCH (23-CM) CAKE; 10 TO 12 SERVINGS
I hate to admit this, but when I was a kid, my all-time favorite snack was those coconut-coated cake-and-cream filled marshmallow snowballs packaged in sticky pairs. Their neon-pink color was so fluorescent and I ate so many that I’m sure my insides are still glowing. Now I’m all grown up and presumably know better, but from time-to-time I still like a coconut-and-cake fix. This recipe is the remedy.
The cake should be assembled at least a few hours before you plan to serve it so the flavors have time to meld. I guarantee that the most memorable thing about this cream-filled coconut cake concoction will be how great it tasted, not its shocking color.
FILLING
1¼ cups (310 ml) plus ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
½ cup (100 g) sugar
½ vanilla bean,
A bit of minced fresh rosemary infuses this cake with a familiar, yet elusive flavor. I wouldn’t dream of leaving the rosemary out. Polenta gives the cake a rustic feel; you can use stone-ground cornmeal instead to make a cake with a more refined texture that retains that agreeable crunch. As for the olive oil, use one that’s strong and fruity; its flavor is more important than its provenance.
1 tablespoon plus ½ cup (4 ounces/115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons plus 4 teaspoons finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons (20 g) plus ¾ cup (130 g) polenta or stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup (125 ml) olive oil
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon almond extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⅓ cups (265 g) sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Smear the 1 tablespoon butter all over the inside of a 10-cup (2.5-liter) Bundt cake or tube pan. Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons rosemary evenly into the pan, then dust with the 2 tablespoons (20 g) polenta, tilting the pan to coat the sides.
To make the cake, into a small bowl, sift together the flour, ¾ cup (130 g) polenta, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, eggs, egg yolks, and almond or vanilla extract.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the ½ cup (4 ounces/ 115 g) butter and the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly dribble in the egg mixture, a little at a time, until completely incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture along with the 4 teaspoons rosemary just until incorporated. Don’t overmix.
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool for about 30 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving plate.
SERVING: This cake goes well with whipped cream flavored with grappa or Tangy Lemon Frozen Yogurt .
STORAGE: The cake will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days, well wrapped. It can be frozen for up to 2 months.
VARIATION: You can add ⅓ cup (35 g) finely chopped candied orange peel or candied angelica to the dry ingredients. If using angelica, omit the rosemary in the batter but keep the small amount used for the pan preparation.
It’s nice to serve slices of peaches or nectarines with the cake when they’re in season. During winter months, I’ll poach pears with saffron and honey, whose juices mingle nicely with the cake: In a medium nonreactive saucepan, bring ½ cup (125 ml) honey and 3 cups (750 ml) water to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer and add 25 saffron threads and 2 strips lemon zest, each 1 inch (3 cm) wide. Peel, quarter, and core 3 Bosc pears and add them to the poaching liquid. Place a circle of parchment paper over the fruit and simmer gently until a paring knife inserted into the fruit meets no resistance, about 10 minutes.
Coconut Layer Cake
MAKES ONE 9-INCH (23-CM) CAKE; 10 TO 12 SERVINGS
I hate to admit this, but when I was a kid, my all-time favorite snack was those coconut-coated cake-and-cream filled marshmallow snowballs packaged in sticky pairs. Their neon-pink color was so fluorescent and I ate so many that I’m sure my insides are still glowing. Now I’m all grown up and presumably know better, but from time-to-time I still like a coconut-and-cake fix. This recipe is the remedy.
The cake should be assembled at least a few hours before you plan to serve it so the flavors have time to meld. I guarantee that the most memorable thing about this cream-filled coconut cake concoction will be how great it tasted, not its shocking color.
FILLING
1¼ cups (310 ml) plus ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
½ cup (100 g) sugar
½ vanilla bean,
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