Olive Oil and Orange Essence Cake with Soft Cream
Serves 8 to 10
*You can find orange flower water at Middle Eastern groceries or online
Ingredients
5 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sweet Muscat, late-harvest Riesling or Gewürtztraminer wine
2 1/2 tablespoons orange flower water*
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar, for topping
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, for topping
Instructions
Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan or line the bottom with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Beat the egg yolks with half the granulated sugar until well ribboned, about 2 minutes. Beat in the orange zest, slowly whisk in the olive oil in drops, and finally, add the wine and orange flower water. Mix together the flour and salt and beat into the egg mixture.
Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they hold soft peaks. Beat in the remaining granulated sugar until the whites hold stiff peaks. Stir 1 cup of the beaten whites into the batter and then gently fold in the rest of the whites. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Decrease the heat to 300°F and continue to bake another 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and cover the top of the cake with a round of buttered parchment paper, and leave in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a rack.
To serve, whip the cream to soft peaks and add 1 tablespoon of the confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Slice the cake and serve a wedge of the cake with a dollop of the cream on the side, dusted with some of the remaining 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar.
