I love cake. All types. All of the time.
Lately, I've been loving cakes that do not require frosting. It simplifies the process of making a cake from a several hours-long project to something you can whip up on a whim. While making a frosted cake isn't hard, a simple glaze or a flurry of powdered sugar makes cake decorating a breeze.
Inspiration struck when watching Food52's Facebook live video of Yossy Arefi baking her phenomenal olive oil cake.
I made a few substitutions. Instead of rosemary I used thyme and I doubled the amount of lemon zest for just a little more brightness. I love the combination of lemon and thyme in sweet things (it tastes great in a simple yogurt cake or as a syrup in cocktails). I used 2 parts olive oil and 1 part vegetable oil to soften the flavor of the olive oil, but once baked, the flavor was subtler than I expected. In the future, I will try it again with 100% olive oil for a more intense flavor.
I followed Arefi's serving suggestion and served the cake with supremed oranges. Supreming is the sectioning of citrus so that you remove all of the pith and membranes, leaving behind just the delicious fruit. I first learned of supremed citrus when watching Sara Moulton on her classic Food Network show, Sara's Secrets, and I had always found the process to be a bit daunting. However, after watching the how-to in the Facebook live video I got a boost of confidence and tried it. The process was actually quite easy and so satisfying. If you've never tried it before, go for it! Just make sure you have a sharp knife and be careful.
The leftovers.
Overall, this cake was a huge success. Simple and sweet, but not overpowering, and it was a snap to make. Give it a try, let me know how it works out, I'm sure you'll love it!
Link to the recipe on Yossy Arefi's blog: http://www.apt2bbakingco.com/home/rosemary-olive-oil-cake