Again, I thought I was being entirely original.
I mean, honestly, who adds cheese to cakes?
Apparently the English do – Christmas Cakes and apple pies (well, some people do that here too).
In any case, in my heart and mind I felt exotically creative and quite accomplished while concocting this moist and delicious cake recipe: Apricot Orange Cheesy Amaretto Cake. It’s basically a vanilla cake with fresh orange juice and zest, a touch of amaretto liqueur, and the addition of Apricot Amaretto Wensleydale cheese.
It’s sweet, it’s soft, it’s heavenly aromatic, and it’s so delicious!
Wensleydale is a style of cheese originally produced in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, England, but now mostly made in large commercial creameries throughout the UK. The term “Yorkshire Wensleydale” can only be used for cheese that is made in Wensleydale.
Wensleydale is a medium cheese that is supple and crumbly. It has a slight honey aroma.
The flavour of Wensleydale is suited to combination with sweeter produce, such as fruit. A popular combination available in many restaurants and delicatessens is Wensleydale containing cranberries.
In Yorkshire, apple pie may be accompanied by white Wensleydale, giving rise to the saying ‘an apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze’.
In Yorkshire and North East England it is often eaten with fruit cake or Christmas cake.
Apricot Orange Cheesy Amaretto Cake
Cake:
1 cup butter, room temperature, plus more for the pans
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/4 cup white sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
2 Tbs. amaretto liqueur
juice and zest of 2 fresh oranges
6 oz. Apricot Amaretto Wensleydale cheese, crumbled
1/4 c. slivered almonds
Glaze:
juice and zest of two fresh oranges (zest separated)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large bundt cake pan and dust with flour, covering all surfaces.
Whisk 3 cups flour, the baking powder, and salt in a bowl until combined. Beat 2 sticks (one cup) butter and the sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium; beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. (The mixture may look separated at this point.) Beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour, until just smooth. Stir in the orange juice and zest, the amaretto, and the crumbled cheese.
Line the bottom of the prepared pan with the slivered almonds. Transfer the mixed batter to the prepared bundt cake pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for at least 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake is beginning to brown. This could be 60 minutes too, depending on your oven.
Let cool for at least 1 hour.
Insert a butter knife along the edge lining to release the sides from the pan.
Invert on a plate and let cool an additional hour or two until fully transitioning the cake to the plate.
In small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the top of the cake, just before slicing. Top with the orange zest.
