Orange-Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups regular or gluten-free all-purpose flour plus more for dusting pan see Notes
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet mini-chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon orange liqueur see Notes
- 3 teaspoons grated orange zest from 1 orange
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup buttermilk see Notes
- ½ cup mild extra-virgin olive oil plus more for dusting pan
- Confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the inside of a 9-inch cake pan with a little of the olive oil or use olive oil spray. Over the sink, spoon two teaspoons of flour into pan and tilt it until it is completely coated. Invert and tap to release excess flour.
- Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.
- In another medium bowl, whisk eggs with vanilla, orange liqueur and orange zest until frothy.
- Whisk in sugar and beat until well blended, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in each addition of ⅓ flour mixture, followed by all the buttermilk, followed by ⅓ flour mixture, followed by all the olive oil, and finish with the final ⅓ flour mixture. Batter should be smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake the cake about 40 to 45 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean and top is golden brown.
- Cool the cake on a rack for 5 minutes, then invert onto the rack. Cool completely and invert onto a platter.
- Sift confectioner’s sugar over the top.
- Cake keeps three days wrapped at room temperature.
Notes
* If you want to make this gluten-free use gluten-free flour (such as Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour) in place of the all-purpose flour.
* I used Cointreau and also recommend Grand Marnier or triple sec.
* I recommend using SACO Cultured Buttermilk Blend in place of fresh buttermilk. You’ll find it in the baking section of your grocery store. Follow directions on the container for use. It keeps for a few years refrigerated so you always have buttermilk on hand.
* You could also use a stand mixer or hand held mixer – just use the whisk attachment.
* Cake freezes well.
* Recipe can be doubled – eat one now and freeze one for later.
* You can also try melting the chocolate chips (easily done in a microwave in 30 second bursts) and stiring (or swirling) it into the cake. This provides a marble-effect.
* I used Cointreau and also recommend Grand Marnier or triple sec.
* I recommend using SACO Cultured Buttermilk Blend in place of fresh buttermilk. You’ll find it in the baking section of your grocery store. Follow directions on the container for use. It keeps for a few years refrigerated so you always have buttermilk on hand.
* You could also use a stand mixer or hand held mixer – just use the whisk attachment.
* Cake freezes well.
* Recipe can be doubled – eat one now and freeze one for later.
* You can also try melting the chocolate chips (easily done in a microwave in 30 second bursts) and stiring (or swirling) it into the cake. This provides a marble-effect.
