Cakes aren’t the first thing you think of when you hear the name Dario Cecchini, Italy’s most famous butcher. But we can assure you this is one of the best olive oil cakes you’ve ever eaten. Ovviamente! Dario was inspired by the original recipe by our friend Faith Willinger. This olive oil cake is flavored with whole oranges, slices of Corrado Assenza’s orange canditi, and juicy amaretto-soaked zibbibo raisins. But the texture is what’ll really make you fall in love: by slowly emulsifying extra virgin olive oil into the batter, you’ll create the most irresistibly moist crumb. The whole cake is topped with a final sprinkling of sugar, an entire small bag of real Italian pine nuts, and lots of fresh rosemary. This is a holiday centerpiece you’ll make year after year!
Ingredients
TIME: 1 hour
SERVES: 8-10
- Zibbibo raisins, ½ cup / 75g
- Amaretto or similar liqueur, ¼ cup / 60ml
- Pine nuts, 1 small bag (⅓ cup / 50g)
- Navel oranges, 1 ½, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (seeds removed)
- Candied orange peel, 2-3 segments (60-90g), cut into small cubes
- Eggs, 2 large
- Baking soda, 1 tsp
- Baking powder, 1 tsp
- Fine sea salt, 1 tsp
- Sugar, ¾ cup + 2 tbsp / 200g, divided
- Extra virgin olive oil, 100ml / ½ cup + 1 tbsp
- Maiorca flour, 1 ¾ cup / 250g
- Rosemary, 2 large sprigs
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Grease a 10 inch angel food cake (or ciambellone) with butter, then dust with flour.
- Combine Zibibbo raisins and amaretto in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat. Set aside to let the raisins absorb the liquid while you get on with the cake.
- Put the eggs, 150g of the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on medium for 3-4 minutes. With the mixer still running, gradually add the extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream.
- Reduce the speed to low, then add the raisins and any remaining soaking liquid. Add the Maiorca flour, a third at a time, until fully incorporated (do not overmix).
- Fold in the chopped oranges and orange canditi, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with the pine nuts and remaining sugar. Remove the rosemary leaves from their steams and use to dot the top of the cake.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325°F/ 160°C and bake for a further 30-35 minutes, until a a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan, invert onto a plate, then again onto a cake stand so that the pine nuts and rosemary are on top.
- Cut into slices and enjoy!