When I started MisterMartha.com a few months ago, I made a commitment to make it a great place to visit, full of informative content with visually appealing photos. But, it didn’t take me long to realize that it takes a village. There was so much to learn and the more I learned, the more I realized I didn’t know enough. Besides a functional site and great content, there is so much that must happen behind the scenes so people can actually find your little home on the web. SEO or “Search Engine Optimization.” The power of Google+. Social media. Food porn sites like Foodgawker and Tastespotting. The list goes on and on.
Anyone who knows me knows that when I set my mind to something, I’m going to give it 1000%. So, a few weeks back I attended Camp Blogaway, the original bootcamp for food and recipe bloggers. It was the perfect way to spend some time with other bloggers who were also there to soak up as much information as possible. Some were newbies like me while others were long time bloggers. Some had published cookbooks and one had even created the condiment “Not Ketchup” that is flying off grocery store shelves! The bloggerverse is an ever changing landscape so there’s always something new to learn regardless of how long you’ve been at it.
Situated in Angelus Oaks, California, Camp Blogaway was a real camp complete with cabins, bunk beds, and a rustic conference center with a roaring fireplace. There was limited cell service and no wifi but we were there to learn and network. The sessions were informative and I left with a lot of new friendships, goals for MisterMartha.com, and a swag bag filled with lots of sponsor products.
Two things that caught my immediate attention in the goodie bag was the 6 Cavity Mini Pie Pan from Wilton and the Natural Almond Meal from Bob’s Red Mill. I’ve been wanting to make something with the last of the blueberries I’ve been hoarding in the freezer from last year’s crop. It looks like we’ll get to enjoy another bumper crop this year but it will be weeks away before they are ready to pick.
We’ll get to enjoy another bumper crop this year but it will be weeks away before they are ready to pick. Blueberries are one of the easiest fruits to freeze.
After a little experimenting, I ended up creating Blueberry-Almond Olive Oil Cakes. They are delicate and moist and gluten free. By the way, if you don’t have the new Wilton pan, you can make this in an 8-inch round springform pan and cook for 40-45 minutes. The new pan, however, worked great in this recipe and even though I forgot to grease the pan, the little cakes released perfectly!
Here’s all you need to make my Blueberry-Almond Olive Oil Cakes:
This recipe is so easy it’s just mix, bake, and YUM!
- 1¼ cups finely ground almond meal
- ¾ cup finely ground corn meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus additional for pan
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated vanilla sugar
- zest and juice from 1 lemon
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup cup Greek yogurt
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- confectioners’ sugar for dusting, if desired
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil two 6 cavity mini pie pans (See note below for other pan option).
- Whisk together the almond meal, corn meal, and baking powder; set aside.
- Beat the olive oil, ¾ cup granulated vanilla sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl until sugar has dissolved. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Stir in the almond meal mixture and ¼ cup yogurt until just combined.
- Fold in ⅔ cup blueberries. Divide mixture among pans, a scant ⅓ cup per cavity. Evenly divide ⅓ cup blueberries on top.
- Bake 18-22 minutes or until edges are golden and begins to separate from pan’s edge. Let sit in pan 5 minutes before transferring cakes to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.
- Mix together the remaining ¾ cup yogurt, ½ cup blueberries, and 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar. Serve cakes warm or room temperature with yogurt mixture.
If butter is preferred, the olive oil can be substituted with 1 stick of butter but the olive oil is a wonderfully healthy alternative and makes these cakes very moist.
After all these years of blogging I am still learning so much. That sounds like a great event to attend for bloggers. I might look into it for next year. It must had been so nice and a great week-end. And your cakes looks delicious!
You definitely should check it out, Helene–it was a great weekend! One of these days, I’m going to be a little more proficient and be able to actually enjoy visiting my blogger friends around the web-world a little more often!
Those mini pies look delish!
Thanks, Pat! They came together sort of my accident!
I will try these this weekend. I have the almond meal. They remind me of the Howard Johnson version of blueberry toasties and orange toasties…beautiful photo.
BTW, do you speak any Italian? You must be learning it after those trips.
Awesome, Valerie–that makes my day! I hope you enjoy them!
Brett, they look wonderful!!
Thanks, JoAnn–blueberries are just coming into season here in Pennsylvania! 😉
lovely cake!
Thanks, Dina! It was one of those recipes that just came together–I hope you enjoy it!
Could Coconut Oil be substituted for Olive Oil?
I’ve never tried coconut oil in this particular recipe but, in general, coconut oil can substituted for vegetable oil ounce for ounce. I would melt the coconut first before measuring and adding to the recipe. Let me know how it turns out!