lemon

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line 9-inch pan with foil extended up all four sides. Apply nonstick spray.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs and almond extract.
• To the mixing bowl, alternatively add the flour mixture and the ricotta. Batter will be thick.
• Pour it into the prepared pan. Level off with an uneven spatula. Sprinkle sliced almonds to cover the top.
• Bake for 33 to 38 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test.
• Cool in pan for at least 45 minutes, then use foil to lift it onto a rack to completely cool at room temperature.
• Make glaze and drizzle across the top. Let set for 30 minutes before cutting. Cake will keep at least two days at room temperature, or pieces can be individually wrapped and frozen for later.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Cut parchment to fit the bottom of the springform pan. Grease the pan, then place in parchment round, then spray that as well.
• Peel and thinly slice the apples. In a big bowl, coat the apples with 1 Tablespoon white sugar, the citrus zest, and 2 teaspoons of fresh juice. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat eggs, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1 cup of sugar at medium high speed for about 7 minutes. It should turn thick and pale, the batter forming ribbons when the whisk is lifted up. Remove bowl from mixer.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and cardamom. Use a fine-mesh sieve to sift the dry ingredients into the egg mix. Gently fold the flour in until it’s just combined and there are no white streaks.
• Place half the apples in the prepared pan. Pour half the batter over them. Use an offset spatula to work the batter into nooks and crannies. Scatter the rest of the apples on top, followed by the rest of the batter. Again, use the spatula to spread the small amount of batter. For a couple minutes, thump the pan on the counter and tap the sides every now and then to cause bubbles to rise, smoothing batter again after.
• Bake cake. Check it at 30 minutes to see if it is getting too brown; if so, cover it with foil. Continue baking 10 more minutes (40 total) then test the middle with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. Let it cool on a rack for 15 minutes before carefully releasing the sides of the pan.
• Serve the cake warm, at room temperature, or cold from the fridge. Add a dusting of confectioners’ sugar on top for serving; if keeping cake for later, add fresh sugar each time, as it will gradually be absorbed. Store covered in the fridge or at room temperature.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Use a floured baking spray on the entire interior of a bundt or tube pan.
• Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup of the fresh lemon juice, canola oil, all of the lemon zest, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl occasionally.
• Pour the batter into the pan and level it. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.
• After another 10 minutes, assemble glaze to create a thick, slow-dribbling consistency. Drip it over the warm cake to coat the top and ooze along the sides. Cool cake completely.
• Store cake covered at room temperature. Pieces can be individually sliced to take on the go or to freeze for later.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Apply nonstick spray to both pie plates.
• Stir together the lemon zest, flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, egg yolk, lemon flavor, and vanilla extract. Use hands to compress dough together to make a ball. Divide in half, placing one in each pie plate. Flatten dough with palms to create an even surface. Prick surface all over with a fork then use a knife to slash dough into triangular wedges.
• Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until edges are golden brown and middle is set. Remove from oven and cut again along slash marks. Let shortbread cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice to create a glaze with a consistency to drip and keep shape. Drizzle all over shortbread. Let set, then cut again along existing marks.
• Shortbread keeps for several days at room temperature. It can be stored covered in pie plates, or stacked in a sealed container with wax paper between the layers.

OM NOM NOM!

Make the lemon cake

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
• Mix together the white sugar and 1 Tablespoon of the lemon zest; reserve remaining zest for the frosting. Using fingertips, for about a minute rub zest into sugar to deploy the inherent oils. Whisk in the olive oil followed by the eggs. Add the milk, vanilla, and salt. Keep beating until the sugar is dissolved.
• Beat in the flour and baking powder until just combined, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Pour batter into the cake pan.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Let cake cool in pan about 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and 3 Tablespoons of the lemon juice until smooth.
• Invert the cake onto a large cooling rack. Stab cake all over with chopstick or skewer. Set a cookie sheet beneath the rack. Drizzle or brush the honey-lemon mix all over the cake. Let cool for about an hour.

Frosting

• Combine cream cheese, salt, the rest of the lemon zest, and a Tablespoon of lemon juice; use rest of juice otherwise. With a hand mixer, beat on medium-high until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about a minute.
• Reduce the speed and gradually add the confectioners’ sugar. Once it’s all in, increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the cake to a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Use an uneven spatula to spread 1 1/2 cups frosting all over the top of the cake. Place cake in fridge to chill for 15-30 minutes. Once frosting has hardened. Slice in half crosswise and stack the halves. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of cake, getting all of the odd angles, nooks, and crannies.
• Refrigerate cake, uncovered, at least 30 minutes before serving. For longer than that, cover with plastic wrap; it’ll keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days, and can also be frozen in individual slices. Serve cake right from fridge.

OM NOM NOM!

• Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Apply nonstick spray to pan; place parchment round inside, then spray to coat that as well.
• In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. whip the eggs at high speed until they are foamy, about a minute. Reduce the speed to medium to add the white sugar. Continue to beat until it becomes thick and pale, about 2 minutes.
• With the mixer going, pour in olive oil. Pause to scrape sides of bowl. Add the almond flour, half & half, all of the lemon zest, and both extracts, mixing until combined.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the moist mix. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Prep the apple. Core it, leaving the peel intact. Cut into thin slices of equal size. Pour reserved lemon juice over the apples, tossing them to coat.
• Place apple slices on top of batter in fanned-out groups of about five, having them face different angles all around the top. NOTE: as the batter is very sticky, the apples will be nigh impossible to move after they are placed, so make careful decisions. Sprinkle the sliced almonds around the edges and in the gaps between the apples.
• Bake for about 50 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Set on rack for 15 minutes before removing the ring from the pan. Serve warm, or cool completely, keeping the cake on the round base. When slicing the cake, be aware that the peel is pretty but may resist the blade–it’s easier to snip through with a pair of kitchen shears.
• Cake can be sliced and frozen for later, but it will taste best at room temperature or warmed.

OM NOM NOM!