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| Champagne Grape Cake, is a moist, not so sweet cake, made with a combination of olive oil and butter with hints of citrus and vanilla, the cake is crowned with tiny, miniature, champagne grapes that burst with intense flavor when you bite into them. |
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| These intensely sweet pearl sized grapes are in season for a limited time right now and I was lucky enough to find a package at my local Whole Foods. They’re seedless with a deep blue black color and quite a bit smaller than a regular sized grape, as you can see above. Champagne grapes are not to be confused with the variety of grape that they actually use to make champagne with, these are more “currant like”. See how tiny they are? |
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| Get a pot of espresso going because this cake is the perfect ending to a meal and I just loved the combination of olive oil and butter, really delicious! Here’s the recipe, it’s adapted from Patricia Wells at Home in Provence. |
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| I had some grapes leftover so I decided to make a chicken salad with the remaining ones tossing it all together with this wonderful lemon flavored olive oil I received from Nudo. |
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| Ingredients were, leftover roasted chicken, celery, red onion, radish, apple, crushed hazelnuts, basil and of course, those luscious and juicy champagne grapes! |
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| Grab a package if you can before they quickly disappear! |
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
This cake looks spectacular! I love champagne grapes!
I’ve never been able to find champagne grapes in my little teeny corner of the world. But when I do, I’m going to remember this recipe Marie.
PS: I’m moving slowly over to WordPress and have your blog listed in my ‘delicious blogs’ blogroll with mostly Italian blogs and other favorites. I hope that you’ll stop over to check it out. If you can, please consider following as the ‘blogger’ blog will end. italianbellavita(dot)com
Thanks for your support Marie,
Roz
Like Stacey said, I’m never sure what to make with champagne grapes. This looks perfect! I love grapes with chicken salad. Gorgeous colors!
I love the champagne grapes. I buy them as often as I can during the short season. I find them at the whole foods store or at the A&P supermarket. I would love to have them in my garden too but I have yet to find a place where I can get the vines.
I’m another one of those strange people who doesn’t eat many cakes, but I just had to comment on your photos – they are absolutely stunning – love the angles and cropping.
Perfect cake for this time of year, Marie. I want to try this if I can find those adorable teeny grapes. xo
I look forward to finding Chanpagne grapes on limited availability in Costoc every summer, Marie! They are so sweet, like candy! I never would have thought of placing them on top of a cake. I’ll try this next year!
I hvae GOT to try that Lemon infused oil!!
I just found your blog through Foodalogue. Love the cake. I usually by these grapes and just gobble them down…now they have another purpose.
Even though I’m not generally a cake eater, I want a big piece.
I made this cake 100 times last year, but the recipe had pine nuts on top (of course I used almonds, because of your warnings about pignoli nuts and pine mouth….).
I used regular grapes and we loved it. It’s our favorite breakfast cake. Love the little baby grapes, I never know what to do with them, now I do! xo
Those little champagne grapes are adorable Marie, especially on that cake. You have a way of making even chicken salad look like a work of art. I received a tin of that oil too and am eager to try it out.