Folks!

Yet again, there have been posts few and far between, but here we are. Since my last post, we’ve been to Washington DC and Washington State, been on mini trips to Atlanta and Athens, and Iris got a little French Bulldog sister named Minya! Since it’s now the holiday season, and we actually got colder weather, I’ve been cooking and baking up a storm. And because I’ve been so eager to try out new ideas, I’ve entered and was accepted into a cooking completion for bloggers from Tresomega Organics for Life! There are several categories in which I’m going to submit recipes, but I had to start off with the baking category first, naturally! I can’t quit cardamom these days, and I really wanted to make a cardamom layer cake that would not only embody the holiday season, but be versatile enough to make throughout the year. Food blogs that take forever to give you the recipe drive me crazy, so I’m going to go ahead and drop it first, and then you can scroll through for photos.

Cardamom Cake with Orange Simple Syrup, Lingonberry Jam, & Honey Cream Cheese Icing

Cardamom Cake Ingredients:

(makes six 6 in cakes or three 8 in cakes)

1 C Tresomega Virgin Coconut Oil

2 C granulated sugar

4 large eggs & 1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 C milk

1 Tbsp orange zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 C all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Orange Simple Syrup Ingredients:

1/2 C water

1/4 C freshly squeezed orange juice

1/3 C granulated sugar

Honey Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

1 C unsalted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp honey

5 C powdered sugar

+ Lingonberry jam (or any other jam you’d prefer!)

THE CAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 6 in round cake pans with parchment paper, then grease and flour.

2. Cream sugar and coconut oil into a mixing bowl fitted a paddle attachment, or use electric mixers. Cream until light and fluffy.

3. Meanwhile, mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

4. Combine milk, orange juice, and vanilla into a bowl and also set aside.

5. Once oil and sugar mixture is ready, add in eggs one at a time, being mindful to make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next.

6. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients into the sugar/oil/egg mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.

7. Using a measuring cup, pour 1 cup of batter into prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on how quickly your oven bakes. Remove cakes from oven, allow to sit in pans for 20 minutes, then turn onto baking racks to cool completely before assembling*

*I like to pop mine in the fridge or freezer to aid in easier assembly.

The Simple Syrup:

Combine all ingredients into a small sauce pan and stir over medium low heat until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature, then store in the fridge. Will last up to two weeks, sealed.

The Icing:

1. Using a whisk attachment, cream butter and cream cheese until fully incorporated without any lumps.

2. Add in vanilla and honey, mixing until combined.

3. One cup at a time, add in powdered sugar, until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

Assemble the Cake:

Using a fork, poke holes all over cake layers. Brush simple syrup onto cake layers, allowing it to soak in before icing.

Ice the first layer with cream cheese icing, then place a couple of spoonfuls of lingonberry jam in the center of the cake layer, spreading it to an inch within the edge. Top with second cake layer and repeat. Place third cake layer on top of the other two and ice the top and edges of the cake. Garnish with lingonberry jam, orange slices, or gingerbread cookies!

The great thing about this cake is that you can change the filling to pretty much anything you’d like. I chose lingonberry jam because I liked the idea of a slightly tart berry against the warmth of the spice cake and balanced with the sweetness of the honey icing. I also gravitate toward lingonberries during the holiday season, but the cake would work beautifully with a raspberry, cherry, or rose petal jam, all of which would be nice for a springtime cake. It’s up to you!

I’m excited about this competition with Tresomega because it’s given me so many more ways to experiment with flavor combinations! I certainly don’t mind staying in the warm kitchen on these chilly days, either. 😉 Tresomega’s virgin coconut oil is really special, as it’s not only a healthy alternative, but it’s flavorless for those who are adverse to coconut (not I, though!). The texture of the cake is perfectly light, and I can feel good serving up a treat that’s won’t bog you down.

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Ready to try some #tresomega #organicsforlife? I’ve got some more recipes in the works for you, so keep this page bookmarked and get to baking!