orange blossom crunch cake

a theme and variations in cake

The use of polenta and extra virgin olive oil in cakes is an Italian tradition that goes back centuries.

I remember thinking, “olive oil instead of butter in a cake? How can that be good?”

Trust me, friends, it is. The flavor is light and fruity, and the cornmeal gives a nice rustic texture to an otherwise soft and delicate cake. The granulated sugar on top also seems unusual, but it adds a very nice crunch, and an extra bit of sweetness to a cake that’s not otherwise overly sweet.

When olive oil is a predominant flavor, it’s critical to use a very high quality brand. It’s shocking how many expensive extra virgin olive oils in the supermarket are not what they claim to be. So how can you tell the real thing from the wannabees? First, check to see that your oil is from a single source, and is processed and bottled at that same location. Avoid brands that are made from a few olives from here and a few olives from there, and make sure that it’s certified extra-virgin.

There are some great olive oils from all sorts of places on the Mediterranean, but since this is an Italian cake, I recommend going with an Italian oil. If you do a taste test, you’ll discover that olive oils from Italy, Spain, and Greece, while also very good, have very different flavor profiles.

So, what olive oil do I recommend? Get ready for an answer that you don’t expect.

It’s … Costco!

Kirkland brand Extra Virgin Olive oil from Italy is of the highest quality and very reasonably priced. If you don’t have a Costco card, you can also find it here. It’s not as cheap as it is at the store, but it’s still very reasonable for the size of the bottle. And by the way, this is one of those rare times when the regular is better than the organic.

This is a perfect cake for Shabbat.  It’s pareve, heart-healthy, super-fast to whip up, and it’s in and out of the oven in 35 minutes. Lightly sweet, it’s a great choice for after a heavy meal. 

By trying the different variations, you can a have new cake every week, while using the same recipe! 

Try a few of mine, and make up some of your own …

Ingredients:

•  1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan

•     2 large eggs

•     1 teaspoon vanilla extract

•     2 teaspoons orange blossom water

•     1 cup sugar, plus 1/3 cup for the topping

•     1/2 cup orange juice or blood orange juice

•     1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

•     1/2 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal

•     2 teaspoons baking powder

•     1 teaspoon salt

•     Zest of 1 large orange

Method:

•  Preheat oven to 375°F.

• Set an 8-inch round cake pan on top of a sheet of parchment paper and trace it with a pencil. Cut out your circle.

• Using a pastry brush, brush the sides and bottom of the pan with oil, then line the bottom of the pan with the parchment paper and brush the top of the paper with oil. Set it aside.

• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, the oil, 1 cup of the sugar, the orange juice, and the flavorings until smooth. Add the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and orange zest; whisk lightly to combine.

• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, scraping out all the lovely batter with a silicone spatula.

• Sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. You might be surprised to see that you can spread the sugar about on the surface without breaking the surface if you carefully use your fingers.

• Slide the cake into the oven, and let it bake until it begins to pull away from the sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out dry. In my oven, that takes exactly 35 minutes.

• Cool the cake in its pan on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Then, run a knife around edge of cake to separate it from the edge of the pan. Invert the cake very gently onto a plate, remove the parchment paper, and then re-invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely before transferring to a cake plate and serving.

Note: In all this inverting and re-inverting, you’ll lose a bit of the sugar topping, but it will be minimal if you’re careful. If it comes off in pieces you can just put them back.

You’ve got the theme, now here come the variations!

Rosemary Orange Crunch Cake: Add ¼ teaspoon finely minced rosemary leaves to the batter

Blueberry Crunch Cake: replace half the orange juice in the recipe with lemon juice, eliminate the orange blossom water, and stir in ¾ cup fresh blueberries.

Strawberry Almond Crunch Cake: Omit the orange blossom water and add 1 ½ teaspoons pure almond extract. Thickly slice16 ounces ripe strawberries and toss them with 2 tablespoons white sugar and 1 tablespoon Amaretto liqueur. Allow the strawberries to macerate for at least half an hour and serve them with the cake, spooning some over the top of each slice.

Maple Walnut Crunch Cake: Eliminate the orange blossom water. Instead of using olive oil, use walnut oil. Instead of the 1 cup of sugar, use ¾ cup maple syrup (grade B will have the most flavor). Reduce the amount of orange juice to ¼ cup. Finely chop some walnuts and either add them to the batter or sprinkle them on top.

Champagne and Roses Tea Cake: Instead of orange blossom water, use rosewater. Swap out pink champagne for the orange juice and add a few drops of champagne flavoring. Leave off the sugar topping and instead, finish the cake with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar after it’s cooled, then sprinkle on some organic dried rose petals.

Pistachio or Pecan Crunch Cake: Switch out the olive oil for pistachio oil or walnut oil. Eliminate the orange blossom water and add a few drops of pistachio or pecan extract. Add some chopped pecans or pistachios to the batter.