Orange Olive Oil Cake

While we are patiently waiting for the summer season in Door County, it’s easy to fantasize about sitting in sunshine along the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Dream away and when you come back to reality, brew yourself some mint tea or coffee and enjoy this orange and olive oil cake. This is a lovely cake you can make any time with ingredients you have in your pantry. Join us in July when we’ll be cooking recipes inspired by the Mediterranean shores…right here on the shores of Lake Michigan!

Having recently become a full-time resident of Ellison Bay, I’m delighted to be a guest chef at the Savory Spoon. Although my career was in global marketing, my lifelong passion has been art, cooking, traveling and entertaining. I’ve cooked with Julia Child, taken cooking classes and scoured far-flung indigenous markets in five continents. In 2016 I was honored to have a two-page spread in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featuring me as a Great Host for my ethnic themed cooking parties. Throughout the years my parties raised significant donations at charity auctions.

While under the Safer-at-Home order many of us are dreaming about traveling around the world – or maybe just wandering someplace other than the grocery store! Even if we may not be able to travel for a while, we can let our imaginations take us somewhere by cooking from different cultures. I’m excited to be hosting cooking classes at the Savory Spoon featuring Mediterranean, Spanish, Italian, Thai, Middle Eastern and South American menus. I hope you will join us to try some new and/or classic recipes from around the globe.

~ Chef Melissa

Orange Olive Oil Cake

(Adapted from Zingermans Bakehouse)
Makes one 9-inch round cake

Ingredients
2 small seedless oranges, well-scrubbed (320 g)
2 large eggs
1 cup (200g) sugar
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp (130 g) extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups plus 1 Tbsp (290 g) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
1-2 Tbsp sesame seeds

Greek yogurt to serve (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch round springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Wash the oranges and cut off both ends (toss ends). Cut the oranges into eighths and put them into a food processor, peels and all. Process the oranges until it turns to a smooth paste.

In a large bowl, crack the eggs and add the sugar. Use a whisk to combine and then beat until light and smooth, about a minute. Add the orange pulp and olive oil and whisk to combine.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the orange mixture and gently stir until all the ingredients are combined. All the dry ingredients should be moistened. Do not overmix.

Pour the cake batter into the pan, spread it even and sprinkle it with sesame seeds.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Don’t overbake or you will be sad. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Release the clamp and remove the springform band and let cool completely. Serve in wedges with a dollop of Greek yogurt if desired.

Thank you! Give someone the ‘Gift of Good Taste’ with a Savory Spoon gift certificate!