End-of-winter cake to celebrate the Summer Solstice

Today is the Summer Solstice (obviously Father's Day too), which provides another excuse to celebrate with...desserts! I want to feature a cake that marks the end of the long winter months, a light Orange Cornmeal Cake from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. You are probably wondering - how about spring? Well, while there were days that felt like spring over the last few months in the Bay area, the mornings and evenings continued to be chilly so it's still like winter to me. Now that summer has officially arrived, I hope I don't have to bundle up anymore.

I am fond of Everyday Food because it is the first food magazine that ignited my passion for cooking. I remember poring over the magazine for hours and conjuring up all the dishes I wanted to make. Just a little bit bigger than a wallet, it includes a wide range of easy-to-prepare recipes (both vegetarian and non-veg) every month that are ideal for anyone who wants to cook gourmet but cannot spend hours in the kitchen. Like other Martha Stewart publications, its food photography is top-notch, albeit not as sophisticated looking as that of its sister publication Martha Stewart Living.

Back to the orange cornmeal cake. As summer fruits such as apricots and peaches phase out oranges in farmers' markets, I felt that I was hanging on to the remnants of winter by making this cake. I prefer cakes with some texture and this easy-to-prepare (as always!) cake fits the bill. The cornmeal in the batter makes the cake crumbly but it doesn't fall apart easily like cornbread. The orange juice keeps the cake moist and the zest gives it a slightly tangy flavor. This was actually the first time I used olive oil in baking, and while I didn't taste the oil in the cake at all, I believe the cake became lighter and more delicate because of it. I finished the cake by dusting it with some confectioner's sugar and sprinkling a handful of olalliberries (I bought them from the same farmer as last time) on it. Summer is not the time for heavy, buttercream-laden desserts, so make sure you get to try this cake before the last crop of oranges is over, say for afternoon tea or just as an everyday afternoon snack.

Have a wonderful summer and Father's Day everyone!

Everyday Food's Orange Cornmeal Cake