Campari Olive Oil Cake
When I posted a photo of this very modest-looking cake on Instagram, I was blown away by the response. Honestly, it didn’t look like much — a generic yellow cake with a golden top. I think just the very notion of putting Campari and olive oil in a cake is what made people stop and “like” it. And it is a pretty terrific flavor combination: The citrusy bittersweet character of the Campari goes really well with the fragrant oil, to which I also add melted butter for richness, as well as lots of fresh citrus juice and zest. On its own, the cake is a pretty plain-looking thing, but you can dress it up for a party, adding orange segments, berries and dollops of whipped cream or crème fraîche to the top. If you want to go one step further, simmer some Campari and a bit of sugar down to a syrup, and drizzle that all over the cake. It turns the cake more pink and accentuates its boozy flavor.
- Total:
- Serves: 8 persons
Ingredients
- ¼cup/55 grams unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted, plus more for greasing the pan
- 2cups/255 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅔cups/330 grams granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- ½teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔cup/160 milliliters whole milk
- ⅔cup/160 milliliters mild olive oil
- 3large eggs
- ⅓cup/80 milliliters Campari
- 1tablespoon grated grapefruit zest
- 1tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1teaspoon grated lemon zest
- ¼cup/60 milliliters fresh grapefruit juice
- 2tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Whipped crème fraîche or whipped cream, sweetened or not as you like, for serving
Instructions
Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. (You can use a regular 9-inch cake pan that is at least 2 inches deep, but the cake will be harder to unmold.)Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, milk, oil, eggs, Campari, citrus zests, and citrus juices. Fold in the dry ingredients, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan.Step 3
Bake until the top is golden and springs back when lightly pressed in the center, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (A cake tester might emerge with a few crumbs, which is OK.)Step 4
Let the cake cool completely in the pan. Then run a butter knife around the edges and release the sides. Serve with dollops of whipped crème fraîche. This cake is best served on the same day that it’s baked.