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Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake
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Olive Oil Cake with Candied Blood Oranges and Roasted Pistachios

Blood orange olive oil cake is a single layer cake infused with orange soaking syrup topped with candied orange slices. Chopped pistachios add a nice saltiness and crunch to this sweet treat! 
Yield: 9-inch cake
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Course: Dessert
Servings: 10 slices

Ingredients

Candied Blood Oranges:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 cups water
  • cup honey
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 blood oranges*, thinly sliced

Orange Soaking Syrup:

  • 1 cup syrup reserved from candied blood oranges
  • 2 Tablespoon Grand Marnier

Olive Oil Cake:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup semolina flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup granulated sugar divided
  • 3 large eggs separated
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 ½ tsp finely grated orange zest
  • handful lightly toasted pistachios roughly chopped

Instructions

Candied Blood Oranges:

  • In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepot, combine sugar, water, honey, and cinnamon bark/sticks.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir until sugar dissolves.  Once syrup has come to a boil, add orange slices.
  • Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30-40 minutes until orange slices are tender and syrup is fragrant. Remove orange slices and transfer to parchment lined sheet tray. Arrange slices in a single layer. Allow to cool. Strain syrup and let cool. Separate one cup of syrup for orange soaking syrup. Keep remaining syrup for serving.

Orange Soaking Syrup:

  • Reserve 1 cup of syrup from candied blood orange.  Mix in 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier liquor.

Olive Oil Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.  Lightly coat 9-inch springform pan with olive oil.  Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together AP flour, semolina flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. In large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup sugar and olive oil. Add in egg yolks and whisk until combined. Using a spatula, fold in dry flour mixture in two additions. Fold in milk and orange zest.
  • Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites using a whisk attachment until foamy. Slowing add in remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat until firm peaks. Fold egg whites into cake batter in two additions. Transfer to prepared pan. Smooth top using a mini offset spatula to level batter.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes until cake is set and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Using a toothpick or the tines of a fork, pierce the cake all over. Slowly drizzle ½ cup of orange syrup over the cake. When the syrup is absorbed, about 5-10 minutes later, pour another ½ cup of orange syrup over the warm cake. Leave cake to cool in pan. Once cake is at room temperature, release cake from cake.
  • Place candied orange slices over the cake. Sprinkle pistachios. Cut into servings and serve with additional orange syrup.

Notes

It is better to have more orange slices than you think you will need.  Some slices will break apart during cooking.  You will also end up snacking on some slices.
ADAPTED FROM EPICURIOUS