Baked Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Grilled Blood Orange Compote
Have your citrus cake and eat it, too. Light and lemony Baked Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Grilled Blood Orange Compote is complemented by the sweet and tart flavor of grilled blood oranges.
Ingredients
Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
Lemon Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
blood orange compote:
8 blood oranges
6 tbsp granulated suagr
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp agave nectar
2 tbsp cointraeu (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
Preparation
When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Set the temperature to 325 degrees F and preheat, lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Butter 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Use a whisk to mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk in 1 ½ cups sugar, yogurt, oil, eggs, lemon juice and zest until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients about one third at a time, until all dry ingredients are completely incorporated. Do not over mix.
Scrape the batter into prepared cake pan and place on the second shelf of the Traeger (if available). Bake approximately 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cake cool for about 10 minutes, remove cake from cake pan.
Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Pour onto the top of the cake in the center. Using a spatula, spread over the top of the cake letting it drip down the sides. Serve the cake with the blood orange compote.
Blood Orange Compote: Squeeze the juice from two oranges, strain and set aside. Remove the peel and pith from the remaining oranges.
The easiest way to do this is to cut away both ends of the fruit so that it sits flat on your work surface, then using a chef’s knife, utility knife or a paring knife, cut the skin and pith completely away from the fruit, following the natural curve of the fruit from top to bottom.
Once peeled, remove the sections from between the membranes, holding the fruit over a bowl to catch the juice and slicing next to the connective membranes on one side of each citrus segment. Set the sections aside while you make the blood orange caramel syrup.
Place the sugar in a medium saucepan and carefully add the water and agave nectar. With a wet pastry brush, brush down the sides of the pan. Look closely and make sure there are no stray sugar granules adhering to the pan. Brush any that you detect down into the wet sugar using the pastry brush.
Turn the heat on medium and bring to a boil, watching again to make sure there are no loose sugar crystals on the sides of the pan and brushing down if necessary. Swirl the pan if necessary, but do not stir. As soon as the caramel reaches a golden color (about 325 degrees F), remove from the heat.
Wait until the bubbles subside, then carefully add the orange juice, being very careful to stand back, as it will bubble up. Stir the mixture with a whisk and return to the heat. Heat through, whisking, until all of the caramel has melted.
Remove from the heat and stir in the Cointreau (or other orange liqueur), vanilla, and cinnamon. Allow to cool, then pour over the oranges.
Serve at room temperature or chilled over the lemon yogurt cake. Enjoy!
Photo and recipe from Traeger.
