Meskouta (Moroccan Orange Cake)

A sweet version of Ras EL Hanout added to the batter (approximately 2tsp ) would make it standout from the ocean of orange cakes (including those with olive oil). 3 parts ground ginger 2 parts whole green cardamom 2 parts whole allspice 2 parts whole nutmeg 2 parts ground cinnamon (preferably Vietnamese) 1 part whole cloves Grind all together in spice mill or mortar.

Baking powder and soda are both activated with hydration. The leavening of the batter begins immediately upon mixing. The only additional leavening comes from the component in baking powder which is activated by heat. (That's why it is called "doubIe-acting"). If you were to rest the batter for 24-48 hours most of that leavening would be lost and the resulting cake would be disagreeably dense. With such a moist dough as this one, every bit of leavening power is vital for a successful result.

I also like resting doughs too, but quick breads rely on chemical reactions for leavening, so I'd want to get this in the oven as quickly as possible to capture most of that

You rest cookies to develop the flavors in the dough and because cookie dough benefits from a little drying out (concentrating the flavors) without sacrificing the texture (cookie dough is already dry). Unless a recipe specifically calls for it, don't rest cake dough. It's meant to be baked straight away, or at the most, rested only when necessary because you are, for example, baking two layers when you only have one pan and need to wait to bake the other layer.

This was yummy. I added the ras al hanout as suggested below, but will dial back the cardamom, as it overpowered the orange a bit. I also rubbed the orange zest into the sugar before mixing - I think it distributes the zest better and enhances the flavor. Will make again.

Has anyone tried replacing orange with lemon or other citruses? Maybe halving the proportions bc it would be too tart otherwise? This looks glorious but the boyfriend « doesn’t like » orange cakes (he does, fortunately, have other qualities that even out this huge flaw). Otherwise I guess my only solution is to eat the ENTIRE loaf which is not bad either

40-45 minutes is on the quick side. I would say 47-52 minutes if you don't want the middle to be underbaked. Took me the entire 52 mins. A delicious cake. Take the "cool completely before ..." instruction literally. They mean *completely*

I didn’t have a fresh orange on hand, so I used commercially prepared OJ and 1 T granulated lemon zest - came out great!

Love, love, love this cake, have to hide it from myself. I try each recipe as it is presented and then if you want to make changes okay. Most times I'm very happy with the results. This is one of them.

Following other suggestions, cut sugar to 2/3 cup. Added 1/8 tsp of following spices: nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon and a bit more than 1/8 tsp ground ginger. Happened to have ricotta in fridge so used 3/4 c plain yogurt 2 tbsp ricotta instead of all Greek yogurt. Baked 52 minutes until toothpick clean in oiled loaf Pan - didn’t bother with parchment. Delicious! May increase spices ever so slightly next time. Can be served for breakfast or tea or as dessert.

Absolutely no need to increase liquid when you reduce sugar in quick breads -- you'll end up with a soupy mess. Sugar "contributes" moistness by holding on to water (it's hygroscopic), so your bread won't last as long, but you can't fix that with more water. Reducing sugar in most cakes affects texture and raising, but since this one doesn't rely on creaming butter and sugar for leavening, you needn't worry about that issue here.

Cooking is chemistry. If you mix yogurt with baking soda it will give your bake some lift and lightness, rather than a heavy lump of dough. Quick breads are exactly what they are called, quickly made, then quickly baked to get full value of the chemical interactions betwixt the ingredients. I always mix my dry ingredients then make a well for the wet ingredients, making sure its gently blended with a wooden spoon then spooned into a pan for baking. Do not over mix. I love Hal's spice combo.

In general, a "batter" (a quickly mixed and rather fluid mixture) should be in the oven as promptly as possible, with the oven preheated before mixing the batter. Muffins, pancakes, cornbread, and cakes are examples of batters. A "dough" is stiffer than a batter. Yeast doughs need to rest in order to rise. Many cookie doughs benefit from a rest period. I suspect the rest period allows the flour and other dry ingredients to fully hydrate, changing the consistency of the dough.

Hi Margaux! I made this with lemon using the same amounts of zest and juice. I added about 1 1/2 tablespoons of poppy seeds, too. It wasn't too tart. This was my second attempt. First try was with the orange zest and juice (and no poppy seeds). I like the orange better, but the lemon was nice, too.

Perfectly delicious recipe as written. However, I did have to increase bake time to a total of 57 minutes before the toothpick came out without wet batter. Test before you pull it out of the oven. I made an orange juice powdered sugar icing instead of whipped cream.