Wonder Valley is a region of the California desert lying 30 miles east of Joshua Tree. The landscape is beautiful and harsh, with sparse sun-battered cabins and tumbleweeds. There’s room out there - to think, create, build. It’s the perfect blank canvas and endless inspiration.
Wonder Valley was started three years ago by husband-wife duo, Jay and Alison Carroll. The products they create for the line are a celebration of grandeur in simplified living, with the cornerstone (and first) product being extra-virgin olive oil. Alison's background is in California olive oil (industry advocacy and sensory analysis) so it was a natural starting place for her. Olive oil is a universal product - no matter your diet or your culture, most people have a bottle of olive oil on their shelf - it’s unifying and utilitarian in nature. Similarly to Coyuchi, Wonder Valley strives to create useful, beautiful products that make everyday routines extraordinary.
Grab your Coyuchi linens and set the table for this unique + seasonal cake and bask in the delicious simplicities of the moment.
Almond Olive Oil Cake with Kumquats
- zest from 2 oranges
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup coconut yogurt
- 1/2 tbsp almond extra
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup AP flour (I used gluten free)
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup Wonder Valley Olive Oil
- a handful of kumquats
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease your cake pan (I used a 9” springform pan) with coconut oil or butter.
2. In a large bowl, combine the orange zest, orange juice, sugar, yogurt, almond extract and eggs. Whisk until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and mix fully. Carefully pour the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the large bowl and gently mix with a whisk. Slowly pour the olive oil into the batter a little bit at a time, until the batter is a pale yellow with orange flecks of zest. There should be no lumps, but do not over mix. Pour the batter into your greased pan.
4. Cut the kumquats into halves and gently pinch them to extract any seeds. Place the kumquats on the top of the batter, in any pattern you may like.
5. Bake for 55 minutes until golden brown, and cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
Goes great with vanilla ice cream with extra olive oil on top.
