Orange and Olive Oil Cake
4/10/20072 thin-skinned juice oranges, such as Valencia
1 cup granulated sugar plus 11/3 cups sugar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon baking soda
teaspoon Fleur de Sel (French sea salt)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 10-inch cake pan. In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Slice the bottom and top from the oranges (where the skin is the thickest) and quarter the oranges. Plunge the oranges into the water, allow the water to return to a boil, then drain the oranges. Repeat the process two more times. This will remove the bitterness from the orange rind.
Place the oranges in a pot filled with 1 quart of water and 1 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil and cook until the rind is softened and can be easily pierced with a fork, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove and discard any remaining seeds in the cooked orange segments and cut the oranges into chunks. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, blend the oranges until they form a chunky puree. With the machine still running, add the olive oil in a slow drizzle until it is incorporated into the orange puree.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt,
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, the remaining 11/3 cups sugar, and the vanilla extract until the mixture is fluffy and pale. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the flour mixture into the egg mixture, then the orange mixture. Repeat, continuing to alternate between flour and orange mixtures, until all the ingredients have been combined into a batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the top of the cake is golden, 35 to 40 minutes.
Yield: One 10-inch cake serving 8 to 10
Source: William Yosses, White House executive pastry chef