Giada De Laurentiis’ Elegant Almond Citrus Olive Oil Cake ‘Is Like a Warm Breeze on the Cliffs in Sorrento’
Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis‘ tart, nutty cake is the quintessential coffee break dessert.
With nearly a full cup of olive oil and plenty of orange and lemon zest, this perfectly sweet recipe may just transport you to Italy with each bite.
De Laurentiis’ olive oil cake is ‘light and airy’
The Simply Giada star says on Giadzy of this dessert: “This cake is light and airy with delicate notes of citrus and olive, just like a warm breeze on the cliffs in Sorrento.”
And she notes that how you serve it is also quite important: “Be sure to top each slice with a generous dollop of lightly whipped sweetened cream for the full joyous experience.”
Her recipe calls for all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, eggs, the zest of an orange and a lemon, whole milk, extra-virgin olive oil, toasted and “coarsely crumbled” sliced almonds, and powdered sugar. For the recipe’s citrus compote, which will serve as its topping, you’ll need grated orange peel, segmented orange and grapefruit and, optionally, orange blossom water.
The chef’s dessert comes together easily
To start the cake, an 8-inch cake pan is oiled lightly and set aside.
In one bowl, the flour, baking powder, and salt are whisked together while in another, the sugar, eggs, and zests are combined with an electric mixer, “until pale and fluffy, because the more air you incorporate in it, the lighter the cake,” De Laurentiis says in the Food Network video, link below, for this recipe. The milk is stirred into the mixture, followed by the oil.
Now, De Laurentiis notes, the dry ingredients are mixed with the wet, “a little bit at a time.” The toasted, crumbled almonds are stirred in, and the batter is poured into the oiled cake pan.
The chef suggests placing the cake pan on a baking sheet to “collect any possible spills” and baking in a 350-degree F oven “until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs attached,” for about 35 minutes. It’s then cooled and transferred from the cake pan to your serving platter of choice. For a pretty presentation, the Everyday Italian host adds, sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake using a sifter.
Get the complete recipe, video, and reviews on Food Network’s site.
Reviewers were impressed with Giada De Laurentiis’ spin on the classic Italian dessert
Many home cooks chimed into Food Network’s website to report that not only is this cake delicious, but it’s also got a tremendous ‘wow’ factor upon serving.
“This cake made a few tell me how delicious this cake is. It definitely makes a great impression and provides a great taste to … your guests’ taste buds. I highly recommend it!,” one person wrote.
Another home cook made a few edits, saying, “I loved this cake! I made this for my family and some guests as a dessert after dinner. I skipped the grapefruit compote and topped it with fresh raspberries instead. It was a hit! … Everyone was impressed!”
