Strawberry season in Louisiana lasts from November through May, but spring marks the peak of the season when strawberries are perfect in just about anything. I grabbed a flat from my favorite local market, Hollygrove Market & Farm when they were on sale. I spent that weekend furiously canning some delicious jam and still only processed half the flat. I stumbled across this recipe from Bon Appetit after looking for some other ideas for the rest of the batch and now my fat gut is soooo happy I did.
This simple cake but delicious cake has become my new favorite for spring. It's light but full of flavor. The original calls for fennel, which I'm not a huge fan of and whipped cream. While I can appreciate the decadence of a good dollop of whipped cream, I preferred to let the cake and strawberries shine on their own. Instead, I added a bit of cardamom and coriander directly to the batter and also cooked the strawberries in a bit of red wine, sugar and coriander. What I ended up with was a simple but tasty treat that's beautiful and easy to make--perfect for your Easter table or Mother's day tea party.
Olive Oil Birdseed Cake adapted from Bon Appetit
Makes 8 servings
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cake flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil (I love Partanna)
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed
5-7 cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed
Strawberry Compote
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered
3/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of 9" round cake pan; line bottom with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in poppy seeds and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolk to blend. Whisk in sugar, olive oil, milk, zest and orange juice until blended add in dry ingredients until batter is uniform. Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
3. Bake cake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes until top springs back or when a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan. Invert cake onto wire rack and let cool completely.
4. To make compote heat wine, sugar and coriander in a small saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Lower heat and simmer until reduced and slightly thicker. Remove from heat and add strawberries, letting them cook slightly in the hot mixture. Let compote cool to room temperature.
5. Slice cake and top with compote. Serve immediately.
Crumby tips:
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of 9" round cake pan; line bottom with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in poppy seeds and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolk to blend. Whisk in sugar, olive oil, milk, zest and orange juice until blended add in dry ingredients until batter is uniform. Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
3. Bake cake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes until top springs back or when a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan. Invert cake onto wire rack and let cool completely.
4. To make compote heat wine, sugar and coriander in a small saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Lower heat and simmer until reduced and slightly thicker. Remove from heat and add strawberries, letting them cook slightly in the hot mixture. Let compote cool to room temperature.
5. Slice cake and top with compote. Serve immediately.
Crumby tips:
- Birdseed cake can be made up to three days ahead and is actually best if made at least one day before serving.
~Happy Baking!
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