Five Cakes Including Syttende Mai "17th of May" Kransekake

Baking is near and dear to my heart.  I love cooking and creating in my kitchen.  I also love sweets, so anytime I have a excuse to make a cake, I take the opportunity!  I thought I'd share with you a new recipe and my link to How To Make a Kransekake which is so appropriate if you are going to celebrate Syttende Mai (Norway's Constitution Day). 

I was on a mission the other day to make a proper tea cake.  But, first  I needed (wanted) a specific type of cake pan and then a recipe that would work.  Does it ever happen to you that you see something in the store and you don't buy it and when you go back, you can't find it?  That's what happened to me in regard to a cake pan.  I had wanted to buy a 7" round cake pan.  It's a bit of a unique size as most are 8" or 9" round cake pans.  Instead, I found this fun little pan which measures about 7 1/2":

From one of my favorite blogs, I found a recipe and then converted the ounces to cups but it didn't turn out well at all....it was so, so dry.  Then I found a recipe from Nigella.  I love her recipes as there's a little "switch" that converts it to cups.  Here's what I made today...

 Do you see the little "cup" at the end...you can sample what you baked!

Pat's Orange Cardamom Tea Cake

1 cup softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
2 T finely grated orange peel (I used tangerine)
dash of salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sifted self rising flour
1/3  cup plain flour

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour either a loaf pan or a 7 1/2" round cake pan (I line the bottom of the cake pan with a piece of wax paper or parchment paper).

In large mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar.  Add in cardamom, orange peel and salt.  Mix in one egg at a time, adding in a little flour as you go along.  Add in remaining flour and mix until mixture is well blended.  (Be careful not to over mix or you will end up with holes in your cake).

....notice my old, old kitchen center mixer?  I received it in 1984 as a gift from my dear parents and I still love to use this mixer.......

Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes then take out of pan and let cool on a wire rack.  

 

I love the fine texture of this cake.  It's not too sweet and goes great with a cup or tea of coffee.

My dear friend Reem, make the cake pictured above.  It's Egyptian Kanafa which is made from kataifi dough which is mixed with butter, spices, raisins and nuts and baked until it's a golden, delicious color....

And, here's my version of Nigella's Marzipan Cake which is a very easy make.

 

A proper little tea cake served to me at the Hawaiian tea in Honolulu....

 

 And, last but not least here's my Kransekake which is so appropriate for 

Norway's 17th of May - Syttende Mai (click on the link to see how to make one).

Do you have a favorite cake recipe you always like to make?  If so, feel free to share below.  I recently bought myself a proper scale from Williams and Sonoma.  Baking with a scale is new to me but hopefully I will master it!  Wish me luck.

Wishing you the very best,

PAT

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