Fall Harvest Cake

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Studded with all the seasonal gems, this cake will bring the true spirit of Fall to your table. Golden, rustic, sweet and moist, it tastes like abundance and reminds you that blessings are often found in the simplest things: a warm home, a cozy table and the people we gather with on thanksgiving.

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Fall Harvest Cake

Yield: 12

Author: Fida Milki

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 lemon
• 1 pear cored , halved and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 1 egg yolk at room temperature
• 3/4 cup greek yogurt at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup moist dried fruits of choice thinly cut
• 1 cup red or green grapes stemmed
• 1/2 cup mixed nuts( pecans, walnuts, pistachios…)
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade for glazing

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
2. Grease and flour a 9x9 baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
3. Put the sugar in a large bowl and grate the lemon zest over it . Use your fingers to squeeze the mixture until it is fragrant.
4. Squeeze some lemon juice over the sliced pear to help keep it from browning .
5. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl., then whisk in the almond flour.
6. One by one, whisk the eggs and the yolk into the lemon sugar and keep whisking until the mixture thickens a bit.
7. Stir in the yogurt followed by the vanilla. Gradually pour in the olive oil and continue to whisk until it is thoroughly incorporated.
8. Fold the dry ingredients into the mixture and gently stir until you get a smooth and homogeneous batter.
9. Fold in the dried fruits then transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula..
10. Top the batter with the sliced pear and grapes lightly pressing each piece into the batter without submerging it. Scatter over the nuts and pat them down gently.
11. Bake the cake in the heated oven for 60 minutes or until it is deeply golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
12. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake rest for 30 minutes before unmolding.
13. Place a platter over the top of the cake and flip it over. Remove the pan and peel away the parchment, then place another platter over the cake’s bottom and turn it over.
14. Heat the marmalade or jam with a few splashes of water in a saucepan over medium heat.
15. Stir until the mixture is thin enough to brush on the cake.. use a brush to coat the top of the cake with a thin layer of glaze. Let the cake cool completely.
16. Slice, serve and enjoy!