orange & olive oil cake

Every now and then, a ‘Recipe of the Day’ link from Saveur magazine shows up in my inbox.  Recipes like Pumpkin Halvah and Spelt Risotto with Beets and Horseradish, which are mostly greeted with a cursory glance before I hit the delete button.  I just know that they will at most be a one-time novelty, not to be repeated again.  But once in a great big while, there will be something that piques my interest.  Like this Orange-Scented Olive Oil Cake.

Right away, the idea of olive oil in a dessert intrigued me but it had to first battle my prejudice that the mildly bitter and peppery taste belonged squarely in the savory column of my food list.  Letting it slide over to the sweet seemed almost impossible.  Then a few weeks back, another email.  This one titled “How 11 Superfoods Will Improve Your Health And Help You Live Longer”.  Who can ignore a title like that and when I looked it up, there was olive oil and honey among the super eleven. The moment had arrived and prejudice overcome, I started to think of a dessert.  At worst, it would taste awful and I could quietly toss it and no one needed to know, right?  I also happened to have some gorgeous blood oranges that I found at Trader Joe’s and wanted just the right way to showcase their beauty.  And this cake was born.

From the very first thought, I knew it would be Italian-inspired.  I know olive oil is native to kitchens all the way from Europe to the Middle East but in my heart, I always associate olive oil with Italy.  It was there that I saw my very first olive tree up close.  In a picturebook town in Tuscany which is the second home to my friend of the longest, longest time, M.  We met as undergrads and between classes on genetics and biochemistry and study sessions that sometimes turned into palak-paneer making and saree draping sessions, we became dearest friends.  She is really smart and loving and giving and adventurous.  Has a real flair for languages and I smile even now when I remember teaching her how to say “Hum Do Hamare Do” in Hindi.

So I made mental notes of what should be in there – olive oil, polenta, citrus, almonds, honey and I also wanted it to be simple and homey.

The cake did not disappoint.  Magic happened in the oven and when the cake came out, all you could taste was the wonderful marmalade-like orange and the delightful crumb of the almond and polenta.  Gone was the bitter and peppery notes of the olive oil to be replaced by a sublime flavor that is hard to describe, reminding one of sunny days and orange groves and olive trees!

* A couple of notes about the cake
–  I used blood and mandarin oranges for the juice and blood oranges for the slices but you can use regular oranges.
–  Realized I had run out of eggs just before mixing the cake, so this is eggless.  If using eggs, add 2 large eggs, lightly beaten and reduce the yogurt to 1/4 cup.

Olive Oil and Orange Cake
Printable Recipe
2 1/2 cups All-Purpose (AP) flour (I used 1 1/4 cups of AP and 1 1/4 cups of oat flour)
3/4 cup almond flour or finely powdered almonds
1/4 cup of instant polenta or fine cornmeal (If you don’t have it, use 1/4 cup more of AP)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp of raw sugar + 3 tbsp honey (or 3/4 cup raw sugar)
1/2 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil  (I used Kirkland brand organic)
2-3 tbsp orange zest
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 -3 oranges, sliced thinly

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Generously butter an 8-inch round pan and sprinkle 1 tbsp of the raw sugar.

Zest some oranges and use the same oranges to get the juice.  Rub the orange zest and 1/ 2 cup sugar together to release even more of the orange flavor.

Arrange the orange slices, overlapping slightly so as to completely cover the bottom of the greased and sugared pan. (You should not be able to see the bottom of the pan.  My picture above still shows some gaps but I added more slices before pouring the batter)

Mix the AP flour, oat flour, almond flour, polenta (if using), baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk the olive oil, sugar + zest, orange juice, vanilla, honey and yogurt.  Mix well.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix gently.

Pour onto the sliced oranges in pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 50 mins or until top is golden brown.  Test with a skewer to make sure it is done.

Cool on cooling rack for 10 mins and overturn onto serving plate.

Slice when completely cool.