Nancy Silverton's Olive Oil Cake Recipe

Published 2024-07-15

Nancy Silverton's Olive Oil Cake Recipe Makes 24 to 36 small cakes

What You Need: The Essential Special Equipment...
Small decorative moulds (2-tablespoon to ¼-cup capacity) or tart pans with removable bottoms (I used Nordic Ware Bundt Charms, which have a 2-tablespoon capacity)
Cooking spray

247.5 grams (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) unbleached pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
300 grams (1½ cups) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
367.5 grams (1/2 cups) Whole milk
337.5 grams (1½ cups) extra-virgin olive oil
3 extra-large eggs
1 medium orange
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Recipe
1. Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together into a large wide bowl. Whisk the milk, olive oil, and eggs together in a separate large bowl.
2. Create a well in the centre of the dry ingredients with your hands. Pour half of the wet ingredients into the well and use a whisk to draw the dry ingredients from the edges to the centre into a thick paste. Add the remaining wet ingredients and whisk to combine. (If the batter is lumpy, pour it through a fine-mesh sieve to strain out the lumps.) Using a fine Microplane, grate the zest (the bright-orange outer layer) into the bowl. (Reserve the orange for another use.) Add the rosemary and stir to incorporate it. Transfer the batter to a pitcher or another vessel that is easy to pour from.
3. Adjust an oven rack to the centre position. Put the moulds on a large baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and preheat the moulds and the oven to 350°F for at least 20 minutes.
4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Working quickly so they don't cool and taking care not to burn yourself, coat the moulds with cooking spray.
5. Pour the batter into the moulds. (Alternatively, use a measuring cup or scoop to fill the moulds to the rim with batter.)
6. Return the baking sheet with the moulds to the centre rack of the oven and bake the cakes until they are deep golden brown and firm to the touch, 25 to 35 minutes, rotating the baking sheet front to back halfway through the baking time so the cakes brown evenly.
7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and gently bang the moulds on the countertop to loosen the cakes. Invert the cakes onto the cold baking sheet and turn them upright.
8. Repeat to bake more batches.