Make Ahead

Winter Sunshine Cake and Ice Cream

by:
January 15, 2012
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 1 cake and 1 big tub of ice cream
Author Notes

The great thing about citrus is that is really is like a shot of sunshine in the cold and gray of winter - it goes with just about anything (I think) and is equally happy playing a sweet or a savory role. In this case, I am going sweet, but not TOO sweet. I have actually been fiddling with this cake for quite awhile - so this week it is time to quit fiddling and get it RIGHT - I think I did, I hope you do to! Have some cake and ice cream to brighten up your day! Your neighbors will be happy if you brighten their day too. —aargersi

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Ingredients
  • Sunshine Cake
  • 1 cup AP flour
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar (for the cake)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • zest and juice from one regular sized orange - mine was a valencia and yielded about 1/2 C juice
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for the glaze)
  • 1 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 cup sugar (for the almonds)
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange flower water
  • Sunshine Ice Cream
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • juice from 3 blood oranges
  • juice from 1 meyer lemon (about a cup of citrus juice total)
Directions
  1. Sunshine Cake
  2. Heat the oven to 350. Prepare a baking sheet with either a silpat or foil sprayed with no stick. Grease and flour or baker's spray a 9" cake pan.
  3. For the almond crunch - whisk together the egg white, 1/4 C of sugar and orange flower water. Stir in the almonds, then spread the mixture out on your baking sheet. Pop it in the oven and bake until they are golden brown - honestly I did not time mine but I think they took 30-40 minutes. They will be bendy when they come out but crisp up as they dry. Once they are dried and cool, break them up.
  4. For the cake - whisk the dry ingredients (except sugar and powdered sugar) in a medium bowl. I refuse to sift unless I really really need to.
  5. Whisk the wet ingredients together (except the orange juice) with the regular sugar and orange zest until very smooth. Mix the dry into the wet and stir until very smooth again. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake 35 minutes until the tester comes out clean. Your kitchen is going to smell pretty good!
  6. Cool the cake for a few minutes (but not completely - you want it still a little warm when you glaze it) then flip it out onto a cake plate. Whisk the orange juice and powdered sugar together to make a thin glaze. Poke the cake all over either with a toothpick or a cake tester, then slowly pour the glaze over, using the back of a spoon to spread it around and encourage it to soak into the cake. Allow to finish cooling, serve with crisp almonds and Sunshine Ice Cream
  1. Sunshine Ice Cream
  2. Put the milk, honey and almond extract in a sauce pan and turn the heat to medium. Whisk together the egg yolk and sugar, then whisk them into the milk. Bring to a simmer and continue to whisk, when is starts to thicken strain the citrus into the pan. You can turn the heat up a little now. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes until it is about like thick cream. Pour it into a bowl, cool, then chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
  3. Freeze the ice cream according to your makers instructions. When it is like soft serve it's ready. You can eat it right now or harden it up in the freezer, or both!
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Recipe by: aargersi

Country living, garden to table cooking, recent beek, rescue all of the dogs, #adoptdontshop

10 Reviews

Bevi February 1, 2012
Which to make first ? They both sound scrumptious !
LeBec F. January 22, 2012
This is just terrific- MY kind of cake- lots of nuts and citrus. And what a perfect photo- it belongs on the cover of a major food magazine! thanks so much for this!
aargersi January 22, 2012
Thanks LBF! Every once in awhile the camera gets it right in spite of my poor skills.
fiveandspice January 17, 2012
Oh, I love this!!! Edible sunshine is just what we need up here!
aargersi January 17, 2012
I wish I could ship you some ... it's been so pretty here! And as an aside - this cake and ice cream is still good - ahem - on day 3
TheWimpyVegetarian January 15, 2012
This looks just wonderful - and I love the names Sunshine Cake and Sunshine ice Cream!
drbabs January 15, 2012
Yum, Abbie!
aargersi January 15, 2012
I baked Dr B!!!
hardlikearmour January 15, 2012
Gorgeous! Love the combo of orange and almond.
Midge January 15, 2012
I love your almond/orange/honey combo. Both cake and ice cream sound right up my alley!