cake: citrus olive oil with masa harina
as spring draws near, i find myself thinking more and more often about cake. cake to me, though available and eaten all year, is a spring essential. a plush and sweet crumb, soft cream and fresh fruit are all a core desire for this aries heart.
last year, i shared recipes for vanilla cake, chocolate cake and buttermilk & olive oil chiffon cake. for the start of spring, i am adding a citrus olive oil & masa harina cake to the collection. if you don’t have masa, sub with more cake flour - this cake will be just as delicious. the flavors of this cake are a little more complex due to the added earthiness from the masa, along with a touch of ceylon cinnamon.
my intention and focus with most of my cake work is texture. my ideal olive oil cake is juicy, bursting with citrus and buttery olive oil, while still maintaining a fluffy crumb.
in contrast to a plush center, i also enjoy crunch. a cake that has crunch intentionally is always going to have my heart. this olive oil cake is coated in a dusting of ceylon cinnamon sugar, and baked at a higher temperature of 375 F. the results are a caramelized and crackly exterior, while maintaining a soft and juicy, buttery citrus center.
about bake time
for a taller cake, i use an 8-inch cake pan with 4-inch sides, as pictured throughout this post. a deep cake pan requires a longer bake time about 45-50 minutes, do not be fooled by the cake’s crusty exterior! use a cake tester to check for doneness if possible.
if using a 9-inch cake pan, or a shallow cake pan, the bake time will be reduced by about 10-15 minutes. for a snacking cake that’s super simple to slice, serve and reserve for the week, i use a 9-inch square pan.
don’t be afraid to bake longer to achieve a darker crust. i like to take this cake pretty far, letting the high heat caramelize the exterior until very, very dark brown. there’s a lot of olive oil and sour cream in the batter - the cake can take a lot of heat before it’s gone too far into dry territory.
olive oil notes
olive oil is our muse here, our star. for a good olive oil cake, we need a good olive oil.
if you have access to locally produced olive oil, you really can’t go wrong there. local is less processed, positively impacting the quality and the flavor, and usually has a recent harvest date which typically means young olives were used for processing, and young olives provide the best olive oil flavors. my go-to local pick is Texas Olive Ranch EVOO. i find this oil at farmer’s markets check your markets y’all! and some grocery stores.
my favorite grocery store buys are the following: Cobram Estate Extra Virgin (super delicious and juicy juicy flavor - although pricey); California Olive Ranch Mild Extra Virgin (my fav affordable pick); any extra virgin olive oil made from arbequina olives, which presents fruity and buttery notes.
avoid peppery or robust oils for use in the cake, and reserve for drizzling onto a slice if those flavor profiles intrigue you.
CAKE: OLIVE OIL CITRUS & MASA HARINA
makes: 1 8-inch or 9-inch cake | prep time: 30 minutes | bake time: 35-50 minutes
citrus olive oil cake
170 grams cake flour
35 grams yellow masa harina may sub white masa, may omit and sub cake flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs about 150 grams
215 grams dark brown sugar
zest of 1 navel orange or 2 blood oranges
zest of 2 large lemons
1 teaspoon kosher salt
215 grams olive oil reduce to 205 grams if omitting masa harina
180 grams sour cream full fat
sugar crust
75 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ceylon cinnamon combined with sugar
suggested tools
handheld electric mixer
whisk
pastry brush
parchment paper
cooling rack
8-inch cake pan with tall sides or 9-inch cake pan
prepare and bake the cake
preheat oven to 375 F.
in a small mug, combine well 75 grams granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ceylon cinnamon. set aside for use later.
in a medium bowl, combine together 170 grams cake flour, 35 grams yellow masa harina, ¾ teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda. set aside.
in a large bowl, combine 3 large eggs, 215 grams brown sugar, the zest of 1 navel orange, the zest of 2 large lemons and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
beat together on high speed using an electric hand mixer or a whisk attachment in a stand mixer until pale and voluminous, about 4-5 minutes.
while mixing on high speed, slowly stream in 215 grams olive oil until fully incorporated. this process will take 2-3 minutes.
next, mix in 180 grams sour cream on low speed until fully combined.
lastly, add the cake and masa flour mix into the batter. fold in gently by hand, using a whisk or rubber spatula, mixing until just combined and no dry bits of flour remain.
set the batter aside to prepare the cake pan 9-inch or 8-inch for a taller cake. spray the pan, then line with parchment - a bit of overhang is fine and preferred.
brush the parchment with more olive oil, and liberally sprinkle about half of the cinnamon sugar into the pan. rotate the pan around to evenly disperse the sugar, coating the bottom and the sides.
pour the batter into the pan, and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top. lean in close to the cake and blow the sugar gently to evenly distribute across the surface.
bake at 375 F for 30-35 minutes for a shallow pan, and 45-50 minutes for a deep pan, depending on your oven. use a cake tester to check for doneness. the longer the bake, the crispier the edges.
allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
slice the completely cooled cake and serve with fresh fruit if desired. drizzle with more olive oil.
thank you so much for reading! see you next time.
channey
Since you posted, I've had this on my radar, and finally knocked it out for Mother's Day. It delivered! Mil gracias!
Hi!! Obsessed with the crumb— how would you say the use of cake flour compares to AP? & if I use only cake flour, would the measurements then be: 205 cake flour/ 205 olive oil?