Olive Oil Cake

A good friend of ours invited us to a dinner party with the promise of her moist olive oil cake. I was a bit taken aback by the name of this dessert, and was intrigued at the possibility that it represented. Olive oil in a dessert? I had heard of stranger things (anyone remember the Trout Ice Cream from Iron Chef?), and was keeping an open mind. Well readers, that mind was blown last night. This chef, not known for desserts, has found a must make cake that will grace the table of Cucina di Campo as often as possible. You simply must try this. Thanks E!

3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
10 oz olive oil
10 oz milk
2 oz lime zest
3 tsp lime juice
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 10" round cake pan. Whisk the eggs, sugar, olive oil, milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, whisk until blended. Pour into the prepared pan, bake for 1 hour.

The cake achieves a crackly patina on the top, ready to accept any number of garnishes. Our host chose to mix a bit of the homemade Lemoncello we brought with powdered sugar to create a simple glaze. Poured over the cake and some fresh strawberries, the Lemoncello glaze was the perfect complement to the olive oil cake's moist, citrus flavor.