#mi6cafejamjune

For @mi6-cafe and @mi6caferecipes Jam June :)

Now folks, there's a story out there you may all not be aware of. As we all know, spies like James Bond deal in secrets like it's currency. He's been in more back alleys and underhanded dealings than than the human brain can imagine, but his greatest, most confusing secret of all was found in the hands of a strange woman in an undisclosed location. So powerful was the paper she gave him that MI6 kept it locked up for years, until now.

It was, of course, the elusive grape cake recipe (recipe linked)

Just Look At This Bad Boy

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more butter for pan

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

2 large eggs, room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch of sea salt

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Grated zest of 1 orange

10 ounces small fresh purple grapes

Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan, tapping out any excess flour. Set aside.

Step 2 In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar until thick and lemon colored, about 3 minutes. Add melted butter, the olive oil, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until blended.

Step 3 Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add lemon and orange zests, and toss to coat the zest with flour. Spoon zest mixture into batter, and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix once more. Set aside for 10 minutes, to allow the flour to absorb the liquids.

Step 4 Stir about 3/4 of the grapes into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan, and smooth out the top with a spatula.

Step 5 Place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then sprinkle top of the cake with remaining grapes. Bake until the top is a deep golden brown and the cake feels quite firm when pressed with a fingertip, about 40 minutes more, for a total baking time of 55 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. After 10 minutes, run a knife along the sides of the pan. Release, and remove the side of the springform pan, leaving the cake on the pan base. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar just before serving. Serve at room temperature, cut into thin wedges.

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