Orange-Scented Olive Oil Cake

Photo by Gabriel Teague

Local cooking instructor Paulette Bruce serves this cake—made with olive oil, not butter—to the students at her Good Eats classes, held Sunday mornings at Taylor’s Kitchen.

3 eggs
Zest from 3 oranges
2½ cups sugar
1½ cups pure olive oil (not virgin or extra virgin)
2½ cups milk
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½  teaspoon baking soda
½  teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, then oil the pans, including the parchment, well. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and orange zest. Add 1 cup of the sugar and whisk for about a minute, until the mixture lightens in color. Then whisk in the olive oil, followed by the milk. In another large mixing bowl, combine the flour, remaining 1½ cups sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk the dry mixture into the olive oil mixture in three separate additions. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until the cakes are deep golden and firm in the center, about 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely. Makes two 9-inch cakes.