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Ben Fink
 
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Olive Oil Cake
 
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(Pissota con l'Oio)

MAKES 1  9" CAKE

We sampled this dense cake at the Dalla Rosa Alda during a trip to the Valpolicella region, where it was the signature dessert. It was made with local olive oil and flavored with a house liqueur whose ingredients are secret; but you can substitute the best quality olive oil you can find and Grand Marnier.

1 tbsp. butter
3 cups plus 2 tbsp. flour
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1⁄4 tsp. lemon zest
3⁄4 cup quality extra-virgin olive oil
2⁄3 cup milk
3 tbsp. Grand Marnier or other sweet citrus-flavored
   liqueur
1 tbsp. baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 3"-deep round 9" cake pan and the outside of a heavy 3"-deep 3" ovenproof ramekin or bowl with butter, then dust with 2 tbsp. of the flour, tapping out excess. Put ramekin or bowl upside down in center of prepared pan. Alternatively, grease an 11-cup bundt pan with butter and dust with flour. Set prepared pan aside.

2. Beat eggs and sugar together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale yellow, about 1 minute. Add remaining 3 cups flour, lemon zest, oil, milk, and liqueur and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add baking powder and stir until thoroughly combined.

3. Holding ramekin or bowl firmly in place, spoon batter into prepared pan around ramekin or bowl or spoon batter into bundt pan, if using, and smooth out top with the back of the spoon. Bake until cake is deep golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack to let cool completely, in its pan.

 
This recipe was first published in Saveur in Issue #75
 
Recipe Reviews
See what other readers are saying about this recipe.
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Member 1figtree's Review:  

I followed the recipe to a tee. While it was a
fine bundt cake, some could taste that it was
made with olive oil in lieu of butter.

Member jayanthid's Review:  

I love the makeshift bundt pan!
Member online editor, saveur.com's Review:  
Olive oil cake
Good news! After consulting the Saveur kitchen
director he tweaked the amount of baking powder
to 1 tbsp. This should now produce a much denser
cake. Enjoy!

Member gaetano's Review:  
Too much leavening ?
This recipe produced a very tasty cake. However I
do agree that the baking powder quantity is
probably incorrect and should be 1 tbsp. I used
chopped pistachios, cardamom and orange zest to
produce a fragrant and delicious bread like cake.
Pic here:
http://phillymarketcafe.blogspot.com/2009/01/happy
-new-year.html

Member rfmonaco's Review:  
Olive Oil Cake
There is WAY too much baking powder in this
recipe. The glaring error of 2 tbsp (6 tsp) is
WAY over the limit. C'mon editors, fix this
recipe!



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