Rosemary Olive Oil Cakes with Olive Oil Gelato
The first time I encountered olive oil cake was at Capezzana, an olive oil– and wine-producing estate in Tuscany. Olive oil cake was the house cook’s signature morning dessert. I had never heard of such a thing and it sounded strange to me, but when I took a bite, it made perfect sense. It was a very simple sponge-type cake in which the butter had been replaced by olive oil, and it was delicious. Since it’s all about the olive oil, the better the quality, the better the cake. For drizzling over the gelato, this is the time to bring out the best olive oil you have—and use olio nuovo when it’s in season. We bake the batter in tiny teacake molds, which means more surface area—and the slightly crispy exterior is my favorite part. The teacake molds we use are sold in a pan, like a muffin tin, at cookware shops. Alternatively, you could use individual teacake molds. This batter keeps well, and you’ll have plenty of olive oil ice cream, so double the recipe to feed a crowd or if you think you might want to bake more later in the week. We serve the cakes with Olive Oil Gelato, which is equally unusual and delicious.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 32 cakes, or enough to serve 8 to 10
Ingredients
for the olive oil cakes
for serving the cake
Preparation
Step 1
To make the olive oil cakes, sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder together into a large mixing bowl. Combine the milk, olive oil, and eggs in a separate large bowl, whisking to break up the egg yolks.
Step 2
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually pour the wet ingredients into the well, using a whisk to draw the dry ingredients from the edges to the center. Continue adding the wet ingredients and whisking the batter until the wet and dry ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth. If the batter remains lumpy, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer to get rid of the lumps. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake the cakes. Stir in the orange zest and rosemary just before baking.
Step 3
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Generously grease a tray of teacake molds with cooking spray or with olive oil. Place the prepared molds in the oven and preheat the oven and the molds to 350°F.
Step 4
Remove the molds from the oven and, taking care not to burn yourself, fill each mold with the cake batter flush with the rim. Place the molds on a baking sheet and bake the cakes until they are browned, firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and set them aside until they are cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. While the cakes are still warm, loosen them with a small, sharp knife and turn them out onto a clean surface. To bake another batch of cakes, you don’t need to wash the pan. Spray it again generously with cooking spray, and preheat it before adding more batter. Serve warm. (You can bake the cakes up to several hours in advance of serving them. To rewarm the cakes, put them on a baking sheet and place them in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes, until they are heated through.)
Step 5
To serve, spoon 1 small scoop of gelato on each plate. Drizzle each serving of gelato with 1/2 teaspoon of finishing-quality olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Arrange three cakes in a triangle formation on each plate, nestling them next to the gelato. Place the fourth cake on top to form a pyramid, and dust the cakes lightly with confectioners’ sugar and serve.
suggested wine pairing
Step 6
Moscato di Trani (Puglia)
