Confessions of my voracious sweet tooth: I don’t like cake. So why am I writing a recipe for this spongy sadness if my pastry passions lie in other ovens? If you’re a Salt Lake local and you’ve experienced the inspiration for this undefinable triumph of a crumb (fine, call it a cake) from Tulie Bakery, perhaps you already understand. It turns out, when you change the focus of cake from flavorless sugar and butter to flavorful olive oil, you wind up with something far more texturally unique and deliciously satisfying.
This brings up an essentially blunt clarification: the quality of your olive oil will make (or break) this recipe. You can craft a cake bursting with subtle notes of green grass, fresh citrus, and luxurious light earthiness… or you can make it taste like burnt cardboard and sadness. The spectrum of olive oil is vast and poorly regulated (more on that here and here), and this recipe gives it absolutely nothing to hide behind. You don’t need to break the bank with our finest condiment grade olive oil, Viola Colleruita (though it would surely be delicious), but you do want to select something that craves the spotlight and knows how to put on a show.
For this version, I selected our (no longer available) Special Reserve Caputo’s Cretan EVOO; the unfiltered version of our house classic. Notes of bright citrus and sharp pepper played perfectly with the Cayenne Veracruz Orange white chocolate from Jcoco that I used for a glaze. Would I recommend sticking to the script that I wrote here? Definitely. Would I encourage you to experiment and get creative with your own cravings? Without a single doubt. Maybe just mail me a slice so I can play too?
Best of all, this recipe is (for lack of a better phrase) easy as cake. Actually a bit easier than most cakes I’ve ever tried to make. The batter comes together in a single bowl, and the ganache whips up while the cake takes its time in the oven. Best left to sit overnight, but perfectly delicious spooned out of the pan (animalistic… who would do that?). Have your cake and eat it however you damn please!
Olive Oil Cake with White Chocolate Ganache
Adapted from Female Foodie :: Originally from Tulie Bakery
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 Cups EVOO (high quality/condiment grade recommended)
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1.25 Cups Whole Milk (room temperature)
- 1 Large Lemon (zest and juice)
- 1 Large Orange (zest)
- 1.5 Cups Sugar
- 2 Cups AP Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 6oz (2 full bars) Jcoco Cayenne Veracruz Orange White Chocolate (or other white chocolate)
- 3oz Heavy Cream
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Generously grease (with EVOO!) a 9 or 10 inch springform pan on the bottom and sides
- Line bottom and sides of springform pan with parchment paper and grease again
- Whisk olive oil and eggs together until smooth (stand mixer helpful, but not required)
- Add milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, orange zest, sugar, and whisk until smooth
- Add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda all at once and whisk until barely incorporated; do not overmix!
- Gently scrape all sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to fully incorporate
- Place prepared springform pan on a baking sheet (catch any mess) and fill with batter
- Bake in preheated oven for 70-80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted and removed from the center comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are OK here)
- If necessary, continue baking for 5-minute intervals until the toothpick comes out clean
- While cake is cooling, make the ganache
- Set up a double boiler (or use the microwave, we won’t judge you) and melt heavy cream with the white chocolate, stirring continuously until combined
- Allow to cool slightly, until ganache can coat the back of a spoon, but drip off easily
- Spoon ganache along the edges of the cooled cake, slowly working to the center (spread with an icing spatula if desired or needed)
- Tastes best the next day! But I almost never wait that long… Enjoy!