Comments on: Orange-Olive Oil Cake

By: David Leite

David Leite — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:36:08 +0000

Manuela, that sounds lovely. Some Portuguese cooks add ground almonds to orange cakes, as they’re plentiful in the south, where the orange groves are. And I’ve used a chocolate ganache glaze on my cake. It makes it entirely non-Portuguese, but it’s still great.

By: Manuela

Manuela — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:00:51 +0000

We teach this cake every once in a while (not really Tuscan but it has an equivalent). We make this recipe differently: the oranges are boiled for 2 hours and then, thinly sliced, drained and stirred. This makes the flavour a little more bitter because of the cooked skin, but the texture is much more dense and it is easier to get it right. It also has less flour and calls for ground almonds. There is a cover of chocolate glaze that works perfectly with the taste of the oranges.

PS on our books suggest a Sephardic Easter origin.

By: David Leite

David Leite — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:42:18 +0000

Chris, no disdain at all. A chiffon cake is a might and lovely cake. It just wasn’t the cake served at the Lisbon resto. A chiffon cake is a much lighter cake, and gets its lift and lightness from the beating of egg whites until they’re stiff then folding them into a batter made with the yolks. Here the eggs are beaten in whole. While the cake isn’t heavy at all, it’s denser and firmer than a chiffon cake. Hope this helps.

By: Chris Solomon

Chris Solomon — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:02:19 +0000

David, to my ears, you seemed to express a measure of disdain for the chiffon cake in your story. Having never baked or eaten this cake or a chiffon, I was wondering if you could tell me what you feel distinguishes them as they are both based on an oil as the fat component. As a person with a food allergy, I’m really interested in confections that don’t require butter.

By: David Leite

David Leite — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:20:47 +0000

My dearest Judy, well thank you. I’m so happy you like the cake, And by all means, share away and sing away.

By: Judy

Judy — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:12:19 +0000

OMG. David, this cake came out so beautifully. I love many things about it. First, it has a lovely, lightly brown crust which adds flavor, then the inside is moist and tender with a delightful orange flavor that is light and refreshing. It is a welcome flavor in the frigid, snowy Minnesota winter. I probably have made hundreds of Bundt cakes (they are my favorite thing to make) and this one is a thing of beauty! Thanks so much for sharing it. I will be making it for many of my friends and will sing your praises!

By: David Leite

David Leite — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:07:03 +0000

SMITHBITES, the cake is gaw-geous! I’m so happy that you and your family enjoyed it. It’s one of my favorites, and it’s also one of my most requested desserts!

By: SMITH BITES

SMITH BITES — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:31:03 +0000

The Professor bought me your cookbook a year ago for Christmas, and THIS recipe was the first one I made--took it to the nursing home for Grandma's 91st birthday last year and everyone raved . . . And when we were asked to join our Cincinnati family for a Spanish Tapas-style New Year's Eve bash, this cake was specifically requested for dessert . . . David, I cannot tell you how fabulous it was. Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting the recipe in your book! It really is one of the best cakes ever--moist but not heavy, silky and a bright citrus flavor that is pure heaven during the winter months here in the Midwest. People who said they were too full from dinner kept going back and taking little slices of the cake . . . there wasn't a crumb left anywhere!

By: David Leite

David Leite — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:18:35 +0000

Briony, classically produced Portuguese olive oils are too strong for this cake. The new oils, which have a milder flavor, are best. But there is indeed a difference between mild (not light) olive oil and safflower oil. So I’d opt for a good fruity Italian or Spanish olive oil, and keep your Portuguese stash for wonderful bacalhau dishes!

By: Briony

Briony — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:54:50 +0000

I’m going to try making this later in the month for my birthday, but first I have an olive oil question to add to the many above! Is the olive oil relevant for the olive aspect (for the flavour) or the oil aspect (for the texture)?

I scour import shops to find Portuguese extra-virgin olive oil, because I prefer the flavour (I grew up in Portugal, it’s no coincidence), but the flavour is reasonably strong. ‘Mild’ olive oils in UK shops tend to look and taste no different from sunflower oil. I’d hate to use my precious stash, only to find that it ruined the cake!