Cherry Marsala Olive Oil Cake

Cherry Marsala Olive Oil Cake

The way I see it, there are 2 species of cake. There are the fancy, celebration cakes with swirls of frosting, bells, whistles, and the whole bit. And then there are the everyday cakes. I’m talking about the cakes that are made at a moment’s notice when you need an afternoon pick-me-up or when eating a salad for dinner only seems like a viable option if you get to round out the meal with a little slice cake.

Today’s cake, if you hadn’t already guessed, falls firmly into the second category. It’s nothing fancy, just a good, solid anytime cake to have in your repertoire. It’s the kind of cake that can be made on a whim, mixed up in less time than the oven takes to heat. Olive oil gives it round, fruity flavor and a splash of Marsala gives it a subtle but haunting Italian flavor. 

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Cardamom, Orange & Honey Coffee Cake

Cardamom & Honey Coffee CakeA few months back, I went to a cabin with a group of friends.  Matt and I arrived a couple of days ahead of the gang, so we were put in charge of packing kitchen necessities.  You know, the basics: butter, oil, salt, pepper, flour, sugar…

“Uh, Sarah, did you really need to bring 3 different sources of cardamom for a long weekend?”

What can I say?  It’s true; I love it and I like to be prepared.  You never know which day you might find yourself needing a quick fix of cardamom.

Today was one of those days.  It was a cold, snowy, really-need-something-sweet-with-your-sixth-cup-of-Earl-Grey kind of day.  This is just the cake for those days.  It’s fast and easy and won’t make you feel too guilty.  Sure there’s a stick of butter in it, but there’s also yogurt. Yogurt is good for you.  The cake is full of the sweet, spicy cardamom you’ve been craving and you’ll have it around for breakfast all weekend. Do it.  Make it.  Just make the cake.  You’ll be back to whatever you’re supposed to be doing in no time.

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