ORANGE OLIVE OIL CAKE
Olive oil cake sounds like it would be heavy, but this recipe makes for a super moist and tender dessert. Freshly squeezed orange juice and a bit of fruity, orange-infused olive oil add a hint of citrus.
Be sure to turn out the cake while it’s still warm or the sugar will harden and make it stick to the pan. (I greased my pan with a little olive oil.) Feel free to use a fairly heavy hand with the powdered sugar. 3 large navel oranges 3½ cups all-purpose flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder
1¾ teaspoons kosher salt 5 large eggs
3 cups granulated sugar 1¼ cups Liokareas Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup Liokareas Late Harvest Orange Oil
Powdered sugar, for sprinkling
Position a rack in the middle of the oven, remove any racks above, and crank up the heat to 350 degrees.
Finely grate the zest of 3 oranges and then squeeze their juice. You should have 1 cup orange juice.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs on medium-high speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
Slowly pour in the granulated sugar and continue to beat until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Switch to low speed and alternate adding the flour mixture and the oils, starting and ending with the flour and beating until just a few wisps of flour remain. Pour in the orange juice and zest and whirl for a few seconds to bring the batter together.
Coat a 12-cup Bundt or tube pan with olive oil (or baking spray). Gently scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Check the cake occasionally and if the top begins to brown a touch too much, loosely cover it with foil.
When cake is done, transfer pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. (Don’t forget to come back after 15 minutes. Seriously. If the cake remains in the pan too long, the sugars begin to cool making the cake stick to the pan.)
Turn the cake out onto the wire rack and let it cool completely. Place the cake on a covered cake stand and let it sit overnight. Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar.
Makes 1 cake.