Maialino’s Olive Oil Cake

We don’t usually think of olive oil as an ingredient used in desserts, let alone paired with Grand Marnier.  This exotic recipe combination was so intriguing, that I had to try it.  After one bake, I am in love with this cake.  It is rich, decadent and moist due to the generous amount of olive oil in the recipe.  And, the slow roasted strawberries take it over the top. I  found the recipe on Food52.  This beautiful cake comes from Maialino Restaurant in New York City.  You can buy the cake directly from the their website but why not make your own?

I never would have imagined that extra virgin olive oil and Grand Marnier would be a perfect match, but they complement one another in this gorgeous cake.

This aromatic cake rich with olive oil, eggs, citrus zest and juice, is one of the easiest to prepare.  You will be pleasantly surprised at how little time it will take you to make this cake.

My 9-inch round cake pan has 2 1/2-inch sides so I used that.  The original recipe calls for a 9 x 2-inch round cake pan.  The cake rises high as it bakes so the extra 1/2 inch was a plus. It will deflate a bit once it cools down so if  your pan is just 2 inches high it should be fine.

This olive oil cake is lovely served with the roasted strawberries. I read that Maialino’s sometimes layers it with mascarpone buttercream turning it into a spectacular birthday cake.  I’m thinking that a lilikoi or orange sauce would also be a terrific accompaniment to serve with each slice of cake.

Maialino's Olive Oil Cake

 

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Special equipment: 9 x 2½-inch round cake pan preferred, or 9 x 2-inch

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cups (350g) sugar
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1⅓ cups (285g) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1¼ cups (305g) whole milk (I used lactose free)
• 3 large eggs
• 1½ tablespoons grated orange zest
• ¼ cup (60g) fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup (55g) Grand Marnier

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil or butter a 9 x 2½-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, milk, eggs, orange zest, orange juice and Grand Marnier. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk until just combined.
3. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake on the middle rack for about 1 hour, until the top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and let cool for 45 minutes to an hour.
4. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, invert the cake onto a rack and let cool completely, about 2 hours.
5. Slice and serve with slow roasted strawberries. The cake keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator. Wrap well and let the cake come to room temperature before serving.

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