Cardamom & 2500 Years of Tradition Gold EVOO Cake by Franco & Ann Taruschio

Franco & Ann Taruschio’s Cardamom & 2500 Years of Tradition Gold EVOO Cake reimagines a Mediterranean classic, blending fragrant orange zest and ground cardamom with OLYFO’s polyphenol-rich oil for a moist, butter-free delight that sings of sun-drenched groves.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter for greasing
• 150g (2cups) of self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting. 
• 4 large eggs 
• 200g (1 cup) granulated sugar 
• Grated zest from 2-3 oranges 
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt 
• ¾-1 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds 
• 250 ml (1 cup) fresh orange juice 
• 250 ml (1 cup) extra virgin olive oil (try OLYFO’s ‘Ifriqia’ blend)

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat the oven too 350 o F (170 o C).
2. Line the bottom of a 25cm cake tin with parchment paper.  Butter the paper and the sides of the tin and dust with flour.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar, orangezest, ground cardamom and salt.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the orange juice and olive oil.
5. At low speed, gradually beat the orange mixture into the egg mixture.
6. Beat in the 2 cups of flour in three or four batches to form a smooth batter.
7. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin to about 2/3 of its height.
8. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, reducing the oven temperature to about (160 o C) for the final 30 minutes to avoid over-browning.
9. To test if the cake is ready, insert a metal skewer into it.  It should come out clean if the cake is fully cooked.
10. Leave to cool for 30 minute before removing g it from the cake tin.
11. Decorate with a few slices of orange and dust with icing sugar before serving. The cake goes well with olive oil gelato.