Orange-Scented Olive Oil Cake

Fortunately, my pantry is usually well-stocked with baking essentials.  Growing up in a family in the restaurant and grocery business, I know the importance of having back-ups on basic ingredients.  This month’s recipe was developed during the omicron surge, so my pantry has come to the rescue, along with other staples from the ‘fridge like eggs, milk and new crop oranges.

This dessert was made as we prepared for the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Tiger celebrations lasting for 16 days from Lunar New Year’s Eve, January 31, 2022 to the Lantern Festival on February 16, 2022.  Oil-based cakes are common in Asian desserts, and I consider this a close cousin with plenty of eggs and the addition of orange zest and juice.   It’s light, moist and not too sweet.  Its flavor profile will fit in well with any cuisine and is versatile for enjoying any time of day.

You will be rewarded by choosing a high-quality olive oil, whether of the smooth and buttery or grassy and slightly peppery variety.  Both will be delicious, and I encourage you to try both!

Orange-Scented Olive Oil Cake

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

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Ingredients

  

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 3 extra-large eggs room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon to sprinkle atop before baking
• 1 teaspoon orange zest finely grated (I use a Microplane for grating)
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup whole milk room temperature
• 1/4 cup orange juice freshly squeezed after removing the zest, room temperature

Instructions

 

• Position an oven rack to the mid-oven position and preheat the oven to 350°F.  Oil the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round springform pan. A regular 9-inch round cake pan will work too.  Line the bottom with parchment and turn it topside up when you remove the cake from the pan to complete cooling.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine the milk and orange juice. Set aside.
• Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute.  Add 1cup of sugar and orange zest, and whip on high speed until the mixture is fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes.
• Reduce speed to medium, and while mixer is running, pour the olive oil in a slow, steady stream.  Mix until oil is fully incorporated.
• On low speed, add half of the flour mixture and mix until barely incorporated.  Stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl if needed.  Add the milk-orange juice mixture and mix until combined.  Add remaining flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Be careful to not over mix
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar evenly over the entire surface.  Bake until the cake is deep golden brown, about 40 – 45 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake.  It should come out with only a few crumbs clinging
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 15minutes.  Remove the sides of the springform pan and cool completely before serving.

Note:  The cake needs no further adornment as the granulated sugar sprinkled on top forms a lovely sparkle and crunch.  But you can also add a dusting of powdered sugar just before serving.  I decorated my cake with candied orange rind, some dipped in chocolate to fancy it up.  This is totally optional.

Candied orange rind may not be in your pantry, but it’s readily available at most markets.  Making candied orange rind is pretty easy too.

Use only unwaxed fruit.  Score through the rind and pith into lengthwise quarters.  Don’t worry if you nick the flesh but going too deep makes it harder to remove just the rind.  Carefully remove the peel from the orange.  Slice into desired widths and cook in a slow-simmering simple syrup of 1:1 water: granulated sugar until the rinds become translucent, about 5 minutes.  Remove with tongs (or chopsticks in my case) and drain on a wire rack placed over a plate or sheet of waxed paper.  Cool and enjoy.

For the one orange I used 1/ 4 cup each of water and granulated sugar.  And obviously a very small saucepan.  I used a shallow 1-quart pan that provided enough depth for the syrup.  This quantity of simple syrup was nearly all absorbed, but save any leftovers to sweeten tea or a cocktail.

I see recipes that call for first boiling the rinds in just water, even a couple of times, to remove the bitterness.  I think the bitterness contrasted with the sugar is delicious so skip the extra effort.