The Ides of March: Blood Orange and Olive Oil Cake

Reviewed by: New York Tort

I was so excited when the Ides of March challenge was announced because I’m a huge nerd and love: Rome, Roman History, Julius Caesar, and Shakespeare. Also, I had a recipe in mind that I really wanted to make and it fit perfectly into this challenge. What I made was a Blood Orange and Olive Oil Cake, and the recipe I got from smittenkichen.

So here’s my back story. Olive oil and blood oranges, although nowadays they can be found and produced elsewhere are a product of the Mediterranean. Also, when I studied abroad in Rome it was the first time I had blood oranges. As part of my program we could go to this little restaurant and get breakfast every day. The man who worked there didn’t speak any English but he always wanted us to eat enough so he gave us coffee, fruit, yogurt, and a pastry. I’ve included a picture of my incredibly delicious Roman breakfast, and you can see a picture of the orange and also that amazing cappuccino.

I love the ingredients. Olive oils is one of my favorite things. Also, I think blood oranges are just beautiful, and messy, and gorgeously delicious. I mean look at the pictures for when I supreme the orange because it’s just such a rich color. Which the color applies to Julius Caesar because, sorry to be morbid, one of the things he’s best known for is being stabbed repeatedly.
This recipe is wonderful. Sweet, but not overly so and also refreshing because of so much citrus. I fed it to my friend Emily and she said if it was her cake she’d eat it all. And oftentimes when I make a lot of food I bring it to one of my classes, but I’m not, I’m going to eat it all myself. I even had it for breakfast.

And here’s a little Shakespeare for you because once an English major always an English major: “As he was valiant, I honour him” – Julius Caesar 3.2.27

Anyway here’s the recipe:

• Butter for greasing pan
• 3 blood oranges
• 1 cup sugar
• Scant 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Honey-blood orange compote, for serving (optional, but you totally should!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Grate zest from 2 oranges and place in a bowl with sugar. Using your fingers, rub ingredients together until orange zest is evenly distributed in sugar. 
2. Supreme an orange: Cut off bottom and top so fruit is exposed and orange can stand upright on a cutting board. Cut away peel and pith, following curve of fruit with your knife. Cut orange segments out of their connective membranes and let them fall into a bowl. Repeat with another orange. Break up segments with your fingers to about 1/4-inch pieces. 
3. Halve remaining orange and squeeze juice into a measuring cup; you’ll will have about 1/4 cup. Add buttermilk or yogurt to juice until you have 2/3 cup liquid altogether. Pour mixture into bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in eggs and olive oil.
4. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently stir dry ingredients into wet ones. Fold in pieces of orange segments. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up. Serve with whipped cream and honey-blood orange compote (below), if desired.

Honey-Blood Orange Compote: Supreme 3 more blood oranges according to directions above. Drizzle in 1 to 2 teaspoons honey. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir gently.