Olive Oil Cake with Raisin Marlmellata and Whipped Creme Fraiche

 So we belong to our favorite Italian Supper Club Thompson Italian and the last months dinner included this fabulous dessert. I google the recipe and when I found the Raisin Marmellata -sure enough it was a classmate of the owner Kate's and she shared the entire 3 recipes- it was so good - a bit of work but so worth the outcome - yum and thank you. Recipe is in 3 parts.

Thompson Italian Olive Oil Cake

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup olive oil (I used a Greek EVOO)
• ½ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup Madeira

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 9”-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray and line with a round of parchment paper; coat parchment.

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

In another bowl whisk eggs and sugar then add the rest of the wet ingredients.

Add dry ingredients don't over mix.

Pour into greased pan. Smooth top.

Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Let cake cool on a wire rack before turning out.

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Raisin Marmellata

• 3 tablespoons Madeira
• ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Orange Liqueur (I used Cointreau)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (1/4 Vanilla Bean if you have it)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup golden raisins (cleaned first)

Combine Madeira, lemon zest and juice, orange liqueur, salt, and ⅓ cup water in a medium bowl; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and toss in pod or just add extract. Set aside.

Bring granulated sugar and ⅓ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil, swirling pan occasionally and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until caramel turns a deep amber color, 10–12 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully add reserved Madeira mixture (caramel is extremely hot and will bubble vigorously), leaving vanilla pod behind. The caramel will tighten up after liquid is added; return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring often, until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Pour sauce over raisins and let stand until raisins are plump, about 20 minutes.

Refrigerate and store up to 1 week.

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Whipped Creme Fraiche:

1 cup creme fraiche

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Add heavy cream and sugar to the creme fraiche and whisk till soft peaks form.

• Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a spoonful of marmellata and whipped crème fraîche.