Something Warm from the Oven

HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

This is an old family recipe, translated from German, that was sent to me by one of my readers. My husband, Sandy, is a huge marzipan fan (he wanted it for our wedding cake, which I nixed, reminding him that not everyone is as crazy about it as he is), so I was eager to try it out. The result is sure to satisfy hardcore marzipan lovers, and will even gain some new converts. It's rich yet light, with just the right blend of fruitiness and marzipan.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
7 ounces marzipan, cut into small chunks (see Note)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
One 10.6 ounce can crushed pineapple, well-drained

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour an 8-cup Bundt pan.

Cream the softened butter together with the marzipan in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add the sugar a little at a time, beating until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla, and mix at medium speed for several minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour together with the baking powder and salt. Add to the creamed mixture, beating on low speed just until incorporated. Add the zest and pineapple, mixing gently just until blended. Spoon into the pan, smoothing the top with the back of the spoon and pushing the batter higher around the sides of pan (to keep a dome from forming while baking). Bake in the oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan before inverting onto a serving plate.

Note: It's best if you soften the marzipan in the microwave before creaming it with the butter: Cut it into chunks and place in a small microwave-safe bowl; heat, covered, on high for 30 seconds.

I adapted this cake from the 1950 (the year I was born) Pillsbury Bake-Off by substituting dried cranberries for the raisins called for in the original recipe. The whole orange is used -- pulp, peel, and all -- which gives the cake a powerful citrus punch. With a food processor, it's literally a whiz to make.

Ingredients:

For the cake

1 medium navel orange
1 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup walnuts or pecans
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the topping

For the topping
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
1/3 cup sugar
Ground cinnamon
1/3 cup reserved orange juice from the cake

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 X12-inch baking pan.

Squeeze the orange, reserving 1/3 cup of the juice. Toss the remaining pulp and rind (cut into quarters) into the food processor along with the dried cranberries and nuts. Whir for several seconds, then pulse, scraping down the inside of the bowl once or twice, until it forms a sticky mass (1 minute or less). Set aside.

Place the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, milk, butter, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the orange-cranberry mixture and mix until thoroughly blended. Scrape into the pan, smoothing the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the topping: Whir together the nuts, sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground. Set aside. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, drizzle with the reserved orange juice and sprinkle with the topping. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Continues...

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Excerpted from Something Warm from the Oven by Eileen Goudge Copyright © 2005 by Eileen Goudge. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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