Add Some Life

Olive Oil Cake with Tangerine, Rosemary & Pine Nuts

This cake can be served fresh, just out of the oven, but a few days after baking, it takes on a wonderful depth of flavor making it a perfect gift.

Makes 1 cake, serving 12-14

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to coat pan
• 1 tablespoon instant polenta for dusting pan
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons instant polenta
• 5 large eggs
• 2 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons tangerine zest
• 1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ cups freshly squeezed tangerine juice (about 8-10 tangerines)
• 4 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• ½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 10x confectioners’ sugar for dusting the finished cake

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly oil a 12-cup bundt pan or an angel food cake mold and dust with polenta. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt and polenta and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the eggs, sugar, and zest in a mixing bowl and whip on medium speed until very thick, about 3-4 minutes. Lower the speed and alternate adding the olive oil and the dry mixture, in that order three times. Continue mixing until completely incorporated. Remove the bowl from the standmixer and fold in the tangerine juice, rosemary, and pine nuts until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the pan and place in the oven on the center rack. Bake for 45 minutes, and then rotate the pan and continue baking for 30 minutes more. If the cake is still wet and soft on top, continue baking for 5 more minutes. A knife poked into the center should come out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and place on a cooling rack in the pan. Cool for 15-20 minutes, and then carefully invert onto a serving plate and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Slice and serve with sweet under whipped cream and ruby red grapefruit segments.

Recipe Courtesy of Hedy Goldsmith, Executive Pastry Chef of Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink