Former senior editor at Bon Appetit and world-renowned author, recipe developer, and video host Claire Saffitz focuses on the sweet side of life in her new book "What's for Dessert?" She joined the show to talk about the book and share a recipe for one of her simple loaf cakes! Fennel & Olive Oil Cake with Blackberries Kalustyan's in Manhattan is one of the most fascinating and impressive spice and specialty food stores anywhere. I stop by whenever I'm in the neighborhood, often just to browse, and usually end up buying several things I never knew I needed. One item I make a point of buying there is saunf mukhwas, or Indian candy-coated fennel seeds. They're used as a palate cleanser, breath freshener, and digestive aid, but I just like nibbling on them for their heady mix of sweet, floral, and licorice-y flavors. That combination is what inspired this olive oil loaf cake. Just ¼ teaspoon chopped fennel seeds, sizzled in olive oil, perfumes the entire cake. It's interesting, which is not always a high compliment when it comes to dessert, but in this case, the brightening addition of blackberries and lemon steers it into highly snackable territory. MAKES 1 LOAF | DIFFICULTY: 1 (Very Easy) | ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 2 hours, plus time to cool | SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Metal loaf pan (4½ × 8½ inches, measured across the top), hand mixer INGREDIENTS: -Olive oil for the pan -½ cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (4.1 oz / 117 g) -¼ teaspoon fennel seeds, finely chopped -2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest -1 ⅔ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8.2 oz / 233g) -1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder -1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt -½ teaspoon baking soda -⅔ cup plus 1 tablespoon plain whole-milk (not Greek) yogurt (6.2 oz / 175g) -2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice -1 teaspoon vanilla extract -2 large eggs (3.5 oz / 100g), at room temperature -1 cup granulated sugar (7 oz / 200g) -6 ounces (170g) fresh or frozen (but not thawed) blackberries, halved crosswise if large (about 1½ cups) -¾ cup confectioners' sugar (2.9 oz / 83g), sifted if lumpy DIRECTIONS: PREHEAT THE OVEN AND PREPARE THE PAN: Arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the bottom and sides of a 4½ × 8½-inch metal loaf pan with a thin layer of olive oil. Line the bottom and two longer sides with a piece of parchment paper, leaving an overhang of an inch or two on each side. Oil the parchment paper, then set the pan aside. MAKE THE FENNEL OIL: In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup (4 oz / 112g) of the olive oil and the fennel seeds and heat over medium-low heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the seeds begin to sizzle and the mixture is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the lemon zest (it will immediately sizzle and sputter, then subside). Set the saucepan aside and let the oil infuse with the fennel and lemon as it cools. MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1⅔ cups (7.9 oz / 225g) of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and baking soda to combine. Set aside. MIX THE WET INGREDIENTS: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together ⅔ cup (5.6 oz / 160g) of the yogurt, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and the vanilla until smooth. Set aside. BEAT THE EGGS AND SUGAR, THEN STREAM IN THE INFUSED OIL: In a separate large bowl, with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and granulated sugar on medium-low speed until the eggs are broken up, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is light, thick, and mousse-y, about 3 minutes. Beating constantly, very gradually stream in the cooled infused olive oil mixture, pausing to scrape in all the seeds and zest, and continue to beat just until the mixture is smooth and emulsified. FIND THE FULL RECIPE ON OUR WEBSITE: https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/new-day-northwest/fennel-olive-oil-cake-recipe-claire-saffitz-whats-for-dessert-cookbook/281-d3c6a3dc-8cda-4ba8-947f-3e147462c18a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KING 5's New Day Northwest is Western Washington's only local daytime talk show. Watch it weekdays at 11 a.m. PST on KING 5 TV and streaming live on http://www.king5.com. #newdaynw 🢒 Follow New Day Northwest! 🢐 FACEBOOK 🢒 https://www.facebook.com/newdaynw TWITTER 🢒 https://twitter.com/newdaynw INSTAGRAM 🢒 https://www.instagram.com/newdaynw