Hello, welcome to instalment no. 6 of this new weekly newsletter. Thank you for taking time out to be here; in only a few weeks, this has become a place I look forward to being each week. Aside from being a cathartic process to empty one’s head of thoughts, ideas and musings, it also puts a metaphorical boot up one’s behind and forces me to organise the many recipes I have been developing and gathering over the last ten years.
To realise that an audience of folks read this weekly digest is the cherry on top. I hope it nourishes and inspires you with practical tips and tricks for your baking practice.
To access extended versions of the newsletters with bonus content, consider upgrading to the Bake Sense -Extra Credit edition here…
This week my mind has been blissfully content to ponder the world of citrus, the fruit that provokes palate-puckering synesthesia, a sense that the attributes and characteristics of this genus, from colour, flavour, taste and texture, trigger a never-ending interplay between the senses.
This group of flowering trees and shrubs has many species and hybrids, a family tree that mirrors the mind map of possible uses and correlates with the firing of synapses that occurs as you take in the scent of the peel, the oils, the zest, pith and juice.
If I imagine how yellow tastes, it’s a sour sensation with an acidity that feels sharp in the mouth and is visually conveyed by peaks reminiscent of the opposing pointed ends of a lemon. Most of this is probably a reaction to learned associations between food, flavour, shape and colour. Still, it triggers ideas about how I want to use them, which flavours I feel would pair well together, and when factors such as temperature and texture should come into play.
This week, I wanted to share how I’ve been enjoying the citrus season so far and show you how to squeeze every last drop of goodness out of them. Finally, we’ll round off with a recipe for a cake that is on repeat in my home kitchen and the bakery, and for good reason!
For subscribers to the Extra Credit portion of the newsletter, we go a little deeper with more citrus flavour exploration, presented as a downloadable infographic that focuses on pairing citrus with other ingredients, including ideas for why and how to pair different cereal varieties with specific citrus fruit.
Haul of rare and unusual citrus from Todolí Citrus Fundació via Small Food Bakery, the first pieces eaten out of hand.
Pursha Limes are hybrids believed to have Lime and Tangerine parents. These tiny sweet limes are easy peelers, pierce the skin without looking, and you think you’re peeling a tangerine. Each segment holds vesicles that burst with a complex and pleasantly acidic lime flavour.
This squat lime varietal is lemons’ more aromatic and peppery sibling. As preserved lemons are a favourite pantry staple, these were thinly sliced and combined with salt (2% by weight of fruit), stacked in scrupulously sterilised jars and covered with lemon juice. Time and salt wait for no wo(man), and in due course, these will be edible in their entirety.
Most recipes that put preserved lemons to use call only for the peel, but I use the whole lot. Use to top focaccia post-bake with a generous handful of soft herbs and extra virgin olive oil or add a tablespoon or so finely chopped to quiche fillings; it offers a briny seasoning that cuts the cream and eggs.
In the sweet kitchen, fold them through cake batters and cookie dough to offset sweetness and bring salinity to the party, or try them in the Preserved Lemon Custard, which was featured in last week’s Extra Credit edition.
Marmalade made with Oro Blanco, an acidless grapefruit x pomelo hybrid. I followed this recipe to make a small batch which turned out a perfect jelly set with honey notes and soft candied shreds bursting with a gentle bitterness.
Toklas Bakery, the place I first encountered Citrus from Todolí Citrus Fundació last year and a great spot if you need somewhere peaceful to sit with delicious bread, pastries and coffee on tap. This made me dream up some future lime-packed pastry and dessert ideas.
Colour study. Wholly unrelated to baking, or is it? Documenting the colours in this year’s citrus haul.
And finally, onto this week’s recipe…
Citrus Olive Oil Cake
There’s some deep alchemy, producing a complexly flavoured cake happening right here, the kind that belies the simple wet-into-dry mix method. I have some hunches on why it works and what might be happening at a chemical level, but I also believe in the magic.
Relying on relatively little effort, it falls into the ‘cut and come again’ cake category; any sensation that preparing the citrus might be slightly onerous is cancelled out by the knowledge that it keeps well beyond a week (if stored properly) and, therefore will pay dividends no matter how fatigued you feel.
Bonus points for it being aesthetically pleasing and sumptuous enough to make for special occasions and dinner parties, where a sidecar of crème frâiche is all that is required.
Ingredients -
Makes 1 x 9-inch cake
For the citrus layer -
1-2 large or 4-5 small pieces of citrus, depending on the size of the fruit; you need enough slices to cover the base of a 1 x 9-inch springform pan. Grapefruits, oranges, lemons, and clementines all work well. Avoid limes, as the skin is prone to going tough in this quick candying process.
125g caster sugar
200g water
For the cake batter -
230g caster sugar
65g wholemeal flour (freshly milled works well)
140g soft stoneground wheat flour
1 tsp flaky sea salt
1.5 tsp bicarbonate soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
200g olive oil (can be mild or more assertive, depending on your preference)
105g whole milk
40g lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon or orange or a combination
2 eggs
To make the candied citrus layer -
Slice the citrus thinly, approximately 2mm thick; if using lemons or grapefruits, place the slices in a small pan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, drain and repeat the process. If using thin-skinned mandarins, sweet oranges, blood oranges or kumquats, there is no need to do this blanching step; proceed to the next step.
Make the sugar syrup by combining the sugar and water in a small saucepan, and heat to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved, add the blanched citrus slices. Bring to a boil, then gently simmer for 6-7 minutes. Remove the slices from the pan and set aside.
Return the syrup to a boil and reduce for a further 5 minutes to thicken the syrup slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C.
Prepare the pan by greasing the base and sides, and line the base with a round of parchment that is large enough to come about 2cm up the sides of the pan.
Arrange the slices of citrus to cover the base of the pan and spoon over 2 tbsp of the reduced syrup. The remaining syrup can be stored in a clean jar in the fridge for up to two weeks; great in cocktails and can be used to poach rhubarb or as a soak for cake layers.
In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients, this includes the sugar, and stir well, so all raising agents are evenly distributed.
Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and break up the eggs well.
Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and whisk in one direction to combine the two. Lift the batter with the whisk to check no dry pockets of flour remain.
Carefully pour the batter over the layer of citrus; it should level itself but nudge to even it out if required.
Bake at 170 degrees C for a total of 40 - 45, check after 30 minutes, and if the cake is sufficiently golden brown, cover it with foil to prevent it from getting too dark. It is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Do not worry if the centre of the cake looks to have dipped slightly; this sometimes happens.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. After 10-15 minutes, you can release the ring to hasten complete cooling.
Once cool, invert the cake onto a plate or cooling rack and peel back the baking parchment.
The cake keeps well in an airtight box in a cool, dry place. It can also be stored in the fridge without detriment to the crumb, which is conditioned and glossy, staying soft and supple for at least a week.