Desert Bloom Recipe

Prepare

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with 1 tablespoon butter and dust lightly with 1 tablespoon semolina, tapping out excess.

Dry ingredients

In a medium bowl whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp fine sea salt until evenly combined; set aside.

Wet ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk 1.25 cups granulated sugar and 4 large eggs until slightly thickened, ~2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup extra-virgin Arizona olive oil, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon lemon zest; whisk until homogeneous.

Combine and bake

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture gently until just combined. Do not overmix. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs and the top is golden. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack and cool completely.

Beat mascarpone

In a chilled bowl, combine 8 oz mascarpone, 3 tbs Arizona wildflower honey, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp powdered sugar (optional) and a fine pinch of sea salt. Whisk or beat with an electric mixer on low–medium until smooth, slightly aerated and spreadable. Refrigerate until ready to use; bring to near-room temperature before assembling if too firm.

Make curd

In a heatproof bowl whisk together 1/2 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice, 4 egg yolks and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until smooth. Set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (double boiler) making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8–12 minutes and reaches 170–175°F (77–80°C). Remove from heat and immediately whisk in 4 tbsp cold cubed unsalted butter, one piece at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in 1 tbsp Meyer lemon zest. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve for extra silkiness. Transfer to a jar, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate; it will thicken further. Makes about 1 to 1 1/4 cups.

Cook gastrique

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup strained prickly pear juice and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves and the liquid reduces by about a third and thickens slightly, 8–12 minutes. Add 1/4 cup white wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, continue simmering 2–4 minutes until slightly syrupy. Remove from heat, add a pinch of salt, cool to room temperature. Adjust acidity/sweetness to taste (add a little more vinegar if too sweet). Refrigerate until needed.

Make crumble

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) or use the still-warm oven after the cake bakes. In a bowl combine 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 2 tbsp ground mesquite flour and 1/4 tsp sea salt. Cut in 3 tbsp cold cubed unsalted butter with a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Spread on a lined baking sheet and bake 10–12 minutes, stirring once halfway, until golden and crisp. Cool completely; keep in an airtight container.

Candy pecans

Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a small skillet over medium heat combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tbsp Arizona mesquite honey and 1 tsp unsalted butter. Stir until sugar liquefies and mixture bubbles; add 1 cup raw pecan halves and stir to coat continuously for about 2–3 minutes until pecans are toasted and sugar is crystallizing. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, transfer pecans to the parchment, separate with a fork and let cool. When cool, break into clusters if desired.

Slice the cooled Olive Oil Cake into 8 even wedges. For plated service, place one wedge on each plate slightly off-center.

On top of each cake wedge, pipe or dollop about 2 tablespoons of Arizona Honey Mascarpone, smoothing slightly toward the edge to create a gentle swirl (total per wedge ≈ 2 tbsp).

Add Meyer Lemon Curd: spoon 1 tablespoon of chilled Meyer Lemon Curd near the base of each cake wedge (reserve a small amount for garnish on the plate).

Drizzle 1–2 tablespoons of chilled prickly pear gastrique around and over the cake to create contrast; use spoon to create small pools on the plate. The amount per plate will be about 1–2 tbs depending on intensity desired.

Scatter about 1–2 tablespoons of mesquite crumble over the mascarpone and around the cake for texture.

Top each cake with 6–8 candied Arizona pecans (roughly 1–2 tbsp pecans) placed artfully along the mascarpone and cake edge.

Finish with a light dusting of confectioners' sugar if desired, a pinch (about 1/8 tsp) of bee pollen over the mascarpone, and a couple micro basil leaves or edible blossoms for color.

Serve immediately at room temperature. Leftover components: cake keeps wrapped at room temp 1–2 days, mascarpone and curd refrigerated up to 3–4 days, gastrique and candied pecans refrigerated up to 1 week (pecans may soften).