Olive Oil

 

Sometimes I worry that, despite never gaining weight, Jordan will die at 35 from eating to much butter and salt. I have low blood pressure, so I am okay in the salt department but, I do eat an alarming amount of butter. But it’s better with butter! It is. But sometimes I think maybe I should eat more vegetables and exercise more. I was thinking this the other day as I struggled into my skinny jeans. So I decided to make olive oil cake. Practically health food right? I mean olive oil helps prevent heart disease. Genius.

So instead of spending 17 dollars to go to hot yoga I spent 14 on good fruity olive oil and baked a cake. Yes friends, I am not only healthy but also frugal.

Then I made a really amazing icing with some kumquats because I am the sort of person who keeps kumquats handy, just in case. But if you are not similarly obsessive regular old oranges would be lovely too. I didn’t plan on it being a burnt orange frosting but, well, I burnt it, and it smelled so good burnt I just decided to go with it. And I’m glad I did.

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brandy
3 extra-large eggs
6 extra-large egg yolks
2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F

Butter and flour a bundt pan or a 8 inch round cake pan

Sift together dry ingredients.

In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment mix eggs and yolks and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes.

Slowly pour in sugar and continue to beat for another minute

Very slowly pour the olive oil and brandy and vanilla into the the bowl, letting it drip against the side of the bowl to prevent it deflating as much as possible.

Remove bowl from mixer and fold in dry ingredients by hand.

Pour into prepared pan and bake until an inserted skewer comes out with only a few moist crumbs, about 35 minutes.

Let cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, the carefully invert it onto a wire rack and allow to fully cool before icing

Burnt orange frosting

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

5 Kumquats, sliced, or the zest of 2 Oranges peeled with a vegetable peeler into thick strips.

1 cup Icing sugar

3-4 tbsp Whipping Cream

1 vanilla bean split in half and seeds scraped.

Bring sugar and 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add in kumquats or oranges and vanilla bean and seeds and cook on high heat.

Let oranges begin to soften and become translucent.

After about 20 minutes the mixture will begin to caramelize.

Don’t stir it! Let it get a deep amber and the oranges start to get dark

Take off the heat and immediately add in the remaining half cup of water. Be careful, it will boil up!

Strain and allow to cool.

Mix in the icing sugar and as much cream as needed to get to the right consistency.

Drizzle over cake and serve it up!