Olive Cake with Tangerines

We know what you're thinking: olive oil in a cake? We have to admit that it does sound a little weird at first. Hear us out, though: most cakes require at least one type of fat, typically butter and/or oil. Among other things, fat helps keep your cake rich and moist. While vegetable oil can accomplish these goals, it doesn't bring much to the party in terms of flavor. Our Tangerine Olive Oil Cake recipe will show you how a simple substitution can make things infinitely more interesting.

Olive oil is usually associated with savory applications. It's great for sautéing vegetables, drizzling over pasta, or even just dipping bread in. But its rich, fruity, slightly peppery flavor also works surprisingly well in a variety of baked goods. If used properly, it won't overwhelm the other ingredients, but will add just a bit of complexity and sophistication to your dessert. As an added bonus, extra virgin olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat. This is a "good" type of fat that can help moderate your cholesterol. Does that mean cakes baked with olive oil count as health food? We'll leave that up to you to decide.

For this recipe, we combine the richness of olive oil with the sweet tanginess of tangerines (you can substitute clementines or mandarin oranges if you'd like). The citrus helps cut through the richness of the fat. The slightly peppery bite of the olive oil adds a little spice to contrast the sweetness of the tangerines and sugar. It's a match made in heaven. Of course, it wouldn't be a Beanilla dessert without the addition of a real Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean to take things to the next level of gourmet decadence. Our Tangerine Olive Oil Cake is the perfect dessert for spring, or anytime you want something bright, fruity, and delicious!


Olive Cake with Tangerines

Tangerine Olive Oil Cake

A deliciously fruity cake, made with rich, decadent olive oil.
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Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer
  • Oven
  • 9-inch Cake Round

Ingredients
  

For Cake

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean sliced and scraped
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp tangerine zest finely grated
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting pan
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

For Candied Tangerine Slices

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tangerine thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch cake round.
  • In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the eggs,vanilla bean scrapings and granulated sugar. Beat until pale and light in texture.
  • With mixer on low speed, add the olive oil, whole milk, and tangerine zest. Beat until wellincorporated.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and baking soda. Gradually add this mixture to the mixer bowl, beating on low speed until incorporated. Pour batter into cake pan.
  • In a medium sauce pan, heat 2 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Stir over medium-high heat until sugar has dissolved.
  • Place tangerine slices into the simple syrup mixture, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Neatly arrange tangerine slices on top of cake batter. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.
  • Drizzle with tangerine symple syrup, let cool to room temperature, and enjoy!
Keyword cake, olive oil, tangerine