Orange Olive Oil Cake

It never fails...after the holidays are over when the cookies, fudge and candy canes go away, the cravings hit.  I think we all need to go into "sweets rehab" right after the new year, because after about two weeks of no desserts, I start hearing it...pantry cupboard doors opening and shutting, the refrigerator light goes on, then I hear the freezer door shut and vapor lock.  "Don't we have any treats in the house?" echoes every night, at about 8 pm from various voices.  So there you have it, if there are too many sweets in the house I hear about it, but if there aren't any treats I really hear about it.

As I am altitude challenged here, I always hesitate when it comes to baking...especially trying new cake recipes.  It took be about a year of us being in the Rocky Mountains before I figured out how to bake in high altitudes.  I saw this dessert on Food Network a few weeks ago and thought it looked really good.  I have made a few olive oil cakes in the past (at sea level) and enjoyed them.  (Since olive oil is good for you and in the Mediterranean Diet, this cake can't be bad for you, right?)

I tried branching out and get fancy with the powdered sugar design, as I came across an extra doile in my pantry.  The finished product reminded me of all our snowflakes this winter and the snow that we still are dealing with.

This cake is beyond amazing.  It is a dense cake, but incredibly light and the hint of orange sends it over the top.  My husband couldn't stay out of it and he doesn't even like cake..so that really says a lot.

Orange Olive Oil Cake
Courtesy of Melissa d'Arabian's Ten Dollar Dinners

Butter, for greasing the pan
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice and zest of 1 orange (about 3 tablespoons juice, 1 tablespoon zest)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Mix together the sugar and eggs in a medium bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until blended and light. Drizzle in the olive oil and vanilla and mix until light and smooth. Add the orange juice and zest and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another medium bowl. Add the flour mixture half at a time to the wet ingredients and mix on low just to incorporate.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the cake cool 15 minutes, dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.