Almond, Orange and Olive Oil Cake

Photo: Sara Remington

With a glass of dessert wine or demi-sec sparkling wine, this exceptionally tender cake needs no enhancement. (The honey drizzle in the image is the food stylist’s pretty touch, but the cake doesn’t need it.) Napa Valley cooking teacher Julie Logue-Riordan shared the recipe. From Wine Country Table by Janet Fletcher (Rizzoli).

  • Butter to grease the pan

  • 1 cup (135 g) raw almonds, toasted

  • 3/4 cup (75 g) cake flour, sifted twice

  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • Pinch of kosher or sea salt

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1 cup (210 g) granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Grated zest of 1 small navel orange or Meyer lemon

  • 2/3 cup (160 ml) extra virgin olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons sliced almonds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper.

Put the almonds in a food processor with ¼ cup (25 g) cup of the cake flour and process until almost as fine as sand. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup (50 g) cake flour, baking powder, and salt, then whisk in the ground almonds until well blended.

In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk, whip the eggs on high speed; add the sugar gradually, then add the vanilla and orange zest. Continue whipping on high speed until the mixture triples in volume, about 3 minutes.

On low speed, add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the olive oil. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with sliced almonds, if desired.

Bake until the cake is golden brown and just firm to the touch in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto another rack, remove the parchment paper, and invert again. Finish cooling right side up on a rack. Cut into wedges to serve.

Serves 8 to 12