wooooohoooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i finally get to share with you one of the big projects that i have been cooking up in my teenie tiny kitchen!

it's crazy the difference between when you are TRYING to do what you love for work, and when you are ACTUALLY doing what you love for work. and it finally feels like i'm REALLY doing what i love for work. 

and lately, i've been working on a collaboration with b. toffee. a DELICIOUS and LOCAL toffee company sold in some amazing retailers nation wide. we just so happen to have a bunch of friends in common, so it was a natural fit for us to work together on something sweet in and out of the kitchen. 

not only is their toffee the PERFECT addition to this date cake + salted caramel, they were the perfect people to throw a little party to celebrate the upcoming event season with. so together, we are throwing a bash for creatives, small business owners and local influencers to eat, drink and mingle. 

planning has been zapping a bit of my time (hence why i am down to one post a week) but it is just the beginning of some very exciting things and i can't wait to share everything with you as it unfolds. 

date cake + salted caramel & b. toffee

prep time: 10 minutes

bake time: 25-30 minutes

total time: 40 minutes

ingredients: 12 oz pitted & chopped dates. 1 tsp baking powder. 1 cup water. .25 cup butter at room temperature, plus some for the pan. .25 cup sugar. 1 tsp orange zest. 2 eggs at room temperature. 1 tsp vanilla extract. 1.25 cups all purpose flour. 1 tsp kosher salt. 1.5 tbs baking soda. .5 cup salted caramel. b. toffee for garnish. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in a large sauce pot, combine the water and dates. bring the liquid to a boil, breaking up the dates as you go. Simmer for 1 minute and then remove it from the heat.

add in the baking powder.

the mixture will bubble a bit. set the dates aside.

in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or large bowl with a hand mixer, combine the butter, sugar and zest. mix together on a medium speed for a few minutes till light and fluffy.

add in the eggs one at a time. then pour in the vanilla. your mix may look like it is not combined.

combine the flour and salt and then add it in to the wet mixture a little at a time.

push the batter down the sides of the bowl and with the mixer on slow, add in the date mixture one third at a time till everything is combined.

add in the baking powder and mix till just combined. 

you can make the cake in a 9 inch cake pan or some ramekins. make sure to butter them well.

fill the bottom of what you use to bake your cake with some salted caramel, just so the bottom is lightly coated.

if you are using ramekins, fill them .75% of the way up and bake the cake or cakes for 25-40 minutes (smaller cake pan, less time). just until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. allow the cakes to cool for a couple minutes then turn out.

drizzle with salted caramel, top with b. toffee and enjoy warm. 

xo, a

date cake + salted caramel & b. toffee

prep time: 10 minutes

bake time: 25-30 minutes

total time: 40 minutes

ingredients: 12 oz pitted & chopped dates. 1 tsp baking powder. 1 cup water. .25 cup butter at room temperature, plus some for the pan. .25 cup sugar. 1 tsp orange zest. 2 eggs at room temperature. 1 tsp vanilla extract. 1.25 cups all purpose flour. 1 tsp kosher salt. 1.5 tbs baking soda. .5 cup salted caramel. b. toffee for garnish. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in a large sauce pot, combine the water and dates. bring the liquid to a boil, breaking up the dates as you go. Simmer for 1 minute and then remove it from the heat. add in the baking powder. the mixture will bubble a bit. set the dates aside. in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or large bowl with a hand mixer, combine the butter, sugar and zest. mix together on a medium speed for a few minutes till light and fluffy. add in the eggs one at a time. then pour in the vanilla. your mix may look like it is not combined. combine the flour and salt and then add it in to the wet mixture a little at a time. push the batter down the sides of the bowl and with the mixer on slow, add in the date mixture one third at a time till everything is combined. add in the baking powder and mix till just combined. you can make the cake in a 9 inch cake pan or some ramekins. make sure to butter them well. fill the bottom of what you use to bake your cake with some salted caramel, just so the bottom is lightly coated. if you are using ramekins, fill them .75% of the way up and bake the cake or cakes for 25-40 minutes (smaller cake pan, less time). just until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. allow the cakes to cool for a couple minutes then turn out. drizzle with salted caramel, top with b. toffee and enjoy warm. 

this week i decided that if i could only live with one fruit for the rest of my life, i'm going with blood orange. now, i really hope that doesn't happen since i use a plethora of fruit year round (thank you southern california & globalization). but if it did happen, blood orange would be my best gal. 

unfortunately, they are seasonal and i can only get them for a few months out of the year. but for those few months, i go big on blood orange. and today is no exception. check with your local grocer or produce store and see if you can get your hands on some. they are less tart and less sweet than a regular orange but have amazing orange flavor.  if you can't get your hands on some blood orange (or you don't dream about them at night like me), you could make this light and delicious olive oil cake with regular oranges, grapefruit or any other favorite citrus. OR, you could even skip the citrus if you are looking for a tasty treat thats not too sweet, but still feels very indulgent. 

blood orange olive oil cake + blood orange glaze

serves: 8-10

prep time: 10 minutes

bake time: 30 minutes

cool time :20 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: 3 blood oranges (or sub 1 grapefruit or pomelo, 2 larger oranges, 3 lemons or 5 limes) zested and juiced. 7 tbs melted butter + 1 tbs soft butter. .75 cup olive oil. 3 tbs milk at room temperature. 4 eggs at room temperature. 1 cup sugar. 1.75 cups all purpose flour, plus 2 tbs extra for dusting the pan.. 1.5 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp kosher salt. 2 cups powdered sugar. 1 bundt or an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. hand mixer or stand mixer. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. combine the 1.75 cups of flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside. then whisk together the olive oil, 7 tbs of melted butter and the milk. set that with the dry ingredients.

then in a bowl of a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand mixer, combine the eggs, zest and 1 cup sugar. start on a medium low speed to combine your ingredients and once combined, turn the mixer up to high and mix until the it turns light yellow in color and is thickened a bit. about 2 to 3 minutes. 

while your beating the sugar and eggs together, butter and flour your baking pan so that the cake will easily slide form the pan after baking. when our batter has thickened, alternate adding your dry and wet ingredients both starting and ending with your dry ingredients.  blend until just combined. 1-2 minutes.

pour your batter into your prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 - 30 minutes depending on the depth of your pan. start checking your cake at about 20 minutes. when a toothpick comes out of the cake clean it is done.

remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool. while the cake is cooling, make your glaze. if you make your glaze in advance, cover it with plastic wrap to prevent a skin on the top from developing. it is just the wet sugar drying when it hits the air, so if a skin does form, just recombine and it should be worked right back into your glaze.

to make your glaze, combine the blood orange juice and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and whisk well till all the lumps are out. about 2 minutes. if your glaze is a bit too dry, you can add in water 1 tsp at a time till you get a nice consistency.

you want your glaze to ribbon back into the bowl when you pull it up with the whisk. if the glaze is too wet and runny, you can add in some powdered sugar 1 tbs at a time till you get the desired consistency.

when the cake has cooled, turn it out onto a wire rack.drizzle the cake with your glaze.

serve or store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. 

xo, a

blood orange olive oil cake + blood orange glaze

serves: 8-10

prep time: 10 minutes

bake time: 30 minutes

cool time :20 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: 3 blood oranges (or sub 1 grapefruit or pomelo, 2 larger oranges, 3 lemons or 5 limes) zested and juiced. 7 tbs melted butter + 1 tbs soft butter. .75 cup olive oil. 3 tbs milk at room temperature. 4 eggs at room temperature. 1 cup sugar. 1.75 cups all purpose flour, plus 2 tbs extra for dusting the pan.. 1.5 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp kosher salt. 2 cups powdered sugar. 1 bundt or an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. hand mixer or stand mixer. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. combine the 1.75 cups of flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside. then whisk together the olive oil, 7 tbs of melted butter and the milk. set that with the dry ingredients. then in a bowl of a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand mixer, combine the eggs, zest and 1 cup sugar. start on a medium low speed to combine your ingredients and once combined, turn the mixer up to high and mix until the it turns light yellow in color and is thickened a bit. about 2 to 3 minutes. while your beating the sugar and eggs together, butter and flour your baking pan so that the cake will easily slide form the pan after baking. when our batter has thickened, alternate adding your dry and wet ingredients both starting and ending with your dry ingredients.  blend until just combined. 1-2 minutes. pour your batter into your prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 - 30 minutes depending on the depth of your pan. start checking your cake at about 20 minutes. when a toothpick comes out of the cake clean it is done. remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool. while the cake is cooling, make your glaze. if you make your glaze in advance, cover it with plastic wrap to prevent a skin on the top from developing. it is just the wet sugar drying when it hits the air, so if a skin does form, just recombine and it should be worked right back into your glaze. to make your glaze, combine the blood orange juice and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and whisk well till all the lumps are out. about 2 minutes. if your glaze is a bit too dry, you can add in water 1 tsp at a time till you get a nice consistency. you want your glaze to ribbon back into the bowl when you pull it up with the whisk. if the glaze is too wet and runny, you can add in some powdered sugar 1 tbs at a time till you get the desired consistency. when the cake has cooled, turn it out onto a wire rack. drizzle the cake with your glaze. serve or store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.