Recipe: Olive Oil Honey Cake

OLIVE OIL HONEY CAKE
Source: Cakes from Scratch in Half the Time by Linda West Eckhardt
Makes one 9-inch single-layer cake to serve 8

Italians believe olive oil is good for everything. Taste this cake and you'll know they're right. The cake is tender, aromatic, and tangy with just a hint of lemon. Add a topping of seasonal berries and/or fruits.

3 large eggs
3/4 cup mild honey
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Grated zest of 1 lime
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Fresh, seasonal fruit and berries, for serving

Prepare to bake. Arrange the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees F Spritz a 9-inch shiny round aluminum cake pan with Baker's Joy and set aside. (Because this cake is made with oil instead of butter or shortening the pan requires careful spritzing with Bakers Joy the cake has something to hang on to while it bakes.)

Place the unbroken eggs in a bowl of hot water for about 5 minutes.

Beat the honey and eggs together with an electric mixer, then add the milk, lemon juice, and zest and mix well.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt onto a piece of wax paper. Spoon this into the honey mixture and stir until mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until a wooden pick comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.

Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with fruit and berries.