When I first heard that such a thing as olive-oil cake existed, my reaction was, “Huh.” It sounded slightly interesting, but not enough for me to start combing the Interwebs for recipes.
Then I read “Julie/Julia” and I promised myself that I would cook my way through my Bon Appetit magazine, which has Julia Child-esque difficulty levels, but with a healthier and non-French bend. The point is to cook things you wouldn’t normally bother with. So I made this cake, which Bon Appetit modeled after a treat served at some cafe in Manhattan.
The men in my house exclaimed that they loved it. I thought it was okay, definitely a tasty snack or breakfast nibble. It actually reminds me of something related to banana or cucumber bread, but maybe that’s just because I cooked it in a loaf pan? It’s a little more dense than your typical cake, and the orange zest gives it a nice aroma. The olive oil adds a little something that you can’t put your finger on. It also colors the cake a pretty yellow.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs
3/4 c whole milk
1/2 c olive oil
2 tsp orange zest
Preheat oven to 325. Oil and flour a 9-inch loaf pan. Whisk first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, olive oil and orange zest to blend. Gradually whisk this into the flour mixture. Scrape into your loaf pan.
Bake about 60-65 minutes (mine took less) or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan, on rack, for 20 minutes, then cool completely on rack.
This would do well with a little orange or lemon chutney. Or even some whipped cream. Enjoy, friends!
Seasoned to Taste 