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Recipe Detail Page
Fresh Tomato Cake with Hazelnuts & Cranberries
Autumn 2013
Our local tomatoes are at their peak in the fall. Here’s a perfect way to deliciously use up this sweet and flavourful profusion.
Makes 8 servings
CAKE
3 to 4 large ripe plum tomatoes (also called Roma tomatoes)
½ cup (125 mL) dried cranberries
2 eggs
¾ cup (175 mL) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
1¾ cups (425 mL) all-purpose flour
1½ tsp (7 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (2 mL) ground allspice
¼ tsp (1 mL) ground cloves
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
½ cup (125 mL) sour cream
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
½ cup (125 mL) chopped toasted hazelnuts or walnuts
ICING
¼ cup (60 mL) whipping cream
½ cup (125 mL) brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
1½ cups (375 mL) sifted icing sugar
¼ cup (60 mL) unsalted butter, softened
1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2 Butter or grease a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan. Evenly flour or scatter with very fine dry bread crumbs; discard any flour or crumbs that do not adhere.
3 Core and seed tomatoes (no need to peel). Finely chop remaining fleshy part. Measure out 1½ cups (375 mL); set aside. To plump cranberries, place in a small bowl and pour in boiling water to cover. After a few minutes, drain well, discarding water. Place unbroken eggs in a small bowl. Cover with hot tap water; set aside to temper. When needed, drain eggs, discarding water.
4 Meanwhile, beat butter until lighter in colour; then slowly beat in sugar. Continue beating while adding eggs, 1 at a time, until fluffy. In another bowl, sift (or rub together through a strainer) flour with baking soda, spices and salt.
5 Stir half of flour mixture into butter mixture. When just mixed, stir in all of measured tomatoes, sour cream and vanilla. When mixed, add remaining flour, well-drained cranberries and hazelnuts. When just mixed, evenly spread in pan.
6 Bake in centre of oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool cake on a rack for 5 minutes; then remove sides to finish cooling on rack. Cool cake completely and transfer to serving plate before icing.
7 To make icing, measure cream into a 1-cup (250-mL) measure or small dish that can go into the microwave. Add brown sugar and salt. Microwave 30 seconds; stir well. Microwave again for 15 seconds; stir well to dissolve all sugar crystals. Cool, then stir in vanilla.
8 Sift icing sugar into a bowl. In another mixing bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer. Beat in about half of icing sugar; then half of whipping cream mixture. Beat well; repeat. Icing should be softly spreadable. If very soft, additional sifted icing sugar may be beaten in a tablespoon at a time. Ice top and sides of cake; garnish top with additional hazelnuts and cranberries, if desired. Covered, cake keeps well for 2 days at room temperature.
Makes 8 servings
