The Best Cake Ever

Dear Turkey,

This is honestly

The best cake I have ever

Made in my whole life

The Best Cake Ever

(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients:

- 1/2 c brown sugar

- 1 T water

- 3 eggs, separated 

- 2/3 c sugar

- 2 blood oranges

- 1 stick butter, soft

- 2/3 c ricotta

- 1/3 c cornmeal

- 1 c almond flour

- 1/2 t salt

- 1/4 c jam (I used apricot) + 1 T grand marnier or cointreau (optional) 

Instructions:

- Soften your butter and use some of it to generously grease a 9-inch baking dish (I used a pie dish). Then line the bottom of the dish with parchment. I am usually way too lazy to do this, but it's worth it. 

- Mix together the brown sugar and water and dollop/spread it around on top of the parchment in the bottom of your dish. Don't be too OCD. 

- Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a metal or glass mixing bowl and the yolks into another mixing bowl. Beat the whites until they hold stiff peaks (do them first while your beaters are clean - you don't have to wash them before doing the yolk mixture). 

- Add the sugar to the yolks and zest both oranges into that bowl; I would normally use the dried stuff here, but don't. Halve both oranges and cut one of the halves into paper-thin slices (I ended up using some of one of the other halves too); arrange these slices in the bottom of your baking dish (on top of the brown sugar mixture). Juice the other 3 halves into the yolks mixture. 

- Add the butter to the yolks mixture and beat for a few minutes. Beat in ricotta, salt, almond flour, and cornmeal just until combined and then 30 seconds more. Fold in the egg whites with a spatula. 

- Gently dollop/spread the batter over the prepared cake pan and try to make it flat. Bake at 300 F for 35-40 minutes. If in doubt, bake it a few minutes more, even if a knife comes out clean. 

- Cool for 5 or 10 minutes and then run a knife around the cake and invert onto a plate. Melt the jam (and alcohol, if using) in the microwave and brush it on the cake. Store in the fridge and serve with a dollop of ricotta. I thought this cake was good on day one; it really blew my mind on day two. 

Enjoy,

Tofu