Bolinhos de Laranja "Little Orange Cakes"

Recipe by Paula.

I love the simplicity of Portuguese desserts. These little cakes have a lovely orange flavour and are so moist and delicate. They are perfect for an afternoon tea, wedding or baby shower. These little cakes are easy to make and be sure to make lots, they won't last long. Enjoy!

Makes 24

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
grated zest of 2 oranges
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sanding sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 2 muffin pans.

2. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and orange zest.

3. In a separate bowl combine eggs and sugar and beat with an electric mixer for 3 minutes or until the eggs are pale yellow and fall in ribbons. Stir in orange juice, butter and vanilla until well combined.

4. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. The mixture will froth a little. Pour the batter into the muffin cups filling them 3/4 of the way up.

5. Bake for 13-14 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Sprinkle the top of each cake with some sanding sugar and return pans to the oven. Turn the oven off and leave them in there for 2 minutes.

6. Allow the pans to cool 5 minutes then run a knife around the edge of each cake and gently unmold. Let the cakes cool completely.

Orange & Olive Oil Cake

Recipe adapted from David Leite

This Portuguese cake took me right back to Portugal...sitting in my Aunt's courtyard under her fig tree enjoying an afternoon espresso and a slice of something sweet. This unusual cake is moist, delicious and the flavour of oranges comes shining through. You will taste a hint of olive oil but unless you tell people what's in it, they won't be able to pick it out. The olive oil replaces the butter you would normally use in a cake. Use a fruity and mild tasting olive oil. You don't want a peppery or strongly flavoured oil.

The only changes I made to the original recipe was to reduce the salt and I added the zest of one lemon and juice of 1/2 a lemon. I enjoyed the recipe without the lemon but I think the lemon gives the cake a brighter flavour without taking anything away from the orange. This cake only gets better with time as the flavours get richer the longer you leave it. I made this cake 2 days before I served it and it was wonderful. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 to 5 large navel oranges
1 lemon (optional)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
5 large eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups mild extra-virgin olive oil
Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, remove any racks above, and crank up the heat to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt and set aside.

2. Finely grate the zest of 3 of the oranges, then squeeze 4 of them. You should have 1 1/2 cups of juice; if not, squeeze the 5th orange. Also finely grate the zest of one lemon. Set aside.

3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a handheld mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs on medium-high speed until well-combined, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the granulated sugar and continue beating until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. On low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and oil, starting and ending with the flour, and beat until just a few wisps of flour remain. Pour in the orange juice, juice of 1/2 the lemon and zests and whirl for a few seconds to bring the batter together.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, about 1 1/4 hours. If the top is browning too much as the cake bakes, cover lightly with foil. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes.

6. Turn the cake out onto the rack and cool completely, then place it in a covered cake stand and let it sit overnight. Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar. If you leave it for longer than overnight, keep the cake in the refrigerator.

Tangerine Cake

Recipe by Paula.

Yippee, Spring weather is here! Well, at least for a little while. :) I'm welcoming the warm weather with this pretty, pretty cake. Tangerine juice gives this cake a wonderful fresh flavour but if you can't find any go ahead and use orange juice. Either way you're going to love it. Enjoy!

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:
For the topping
1 small can of whole tangerine segments, drained
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
5 maraschino cherries

For the cake
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups tangerine juice (or orange juice)
Icing sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Put rack in the center of the oven.

2. Grease a 9 x 11 inch baking pan. Evenly spread the melted butter in the pan. Mix the brown sugar and orange zest together and sprinkle over the melted butter.

3. Place the tangerine segments and cherries decoratively over the top of the brown sugar. I like the flowers but feel free to be creative. Set the baking pan aside.

4. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, egg yolks and orange zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat in flour in 3 additions, alternating with the tangerine juice.

6. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until you form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

7. Spread the batter into the pan evenly. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

8. Cool pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan. Turn out and cool completely.

9. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Honey Cakes "Bolinhos de Mel"

Recipe by Paula.

I first discovered these delicious little honey cakes when I visited Portugal as a teen. I went to a cafe with my older cousins and they ordered me an espresso and a bolinho de mel (honey cake)....it was love at first bite. Now, every time I visit Portugal, I must have one or two or ten little cakes. These moist and flavourful cakes will steal your heart too.

I've tried several different honeys with this recipe and my favourite was the Wildflower Honey from Rosewood Estates. I just love it's lovely floral taste. Enjoy!

Makes: 4 mini cakes or 1 loaf or 1 bundt cake

Ingredients:
4 eggs, separated (you'll need 4 yolks & 3 whites)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup honey (use a floral honey)
zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup flaked almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour 4 little cake pans (1 1/2 cups) or loaf pan or bundt pan.

2. Sift together flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and beat them (about 3 minutes). Add the honey, lemon zest and lemon juice to the egg/sugar mixture and beat for another minute.

4. Alternate adding the flour mixture and oil, starting and ending with the flour, and beat until just a few wisps of flour remain.

5. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter, half at a time until the batter is just combined. Don't over mix.

6. Fill the cake pans up to 3/4 full. Bang the cake pans on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Top the batter with some of the flaked almonds.

7. Bake for 20-22 minutes until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cover the pans with foil if the tops are getting too brown.

8. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes then remove them from the pans. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

9. Store in a covered container for up to 4 days at room temperurature.