Throughout October, we’re bringing you more from our October issue on our Extra Sauce page. Last week, we brought you the rest of Sauce contributor Byron Kerman’s 5 Questions interview with Marc Del Pietro that you didn’t see. We also revealed whose crab cake fell just shy of making this month’s Short List. Now, we have more from our Ones To Watch. Agi and Aaron Groff, owners of 4 Seasons Bakery in St. Charles, shared with us their recipe for an olive oil cake that’s fragrant, moist and perfect for the holidays. Also, check out our Extra Sauce page for more from our other Ones To Watch!
Orange and Lavender Olive Oil Cake
Courtesy of 4 Seasons Bakery’s Agi and Aaron Groff
Two 9-inch round cakes or 6-plus mini-bundt forms
2 oranges
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup olive oil
½ cup canola oil
1½ cups milk
1½ cups sugar
2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. sea salt
1 Tbs. dried lavender
• Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
• Coat cake pans with vegetable spray and line with parchment.
• Zest the oranges into a large bowl (reserve 1 tsp. zest in a small bowl for the glaze).
• Add eggs and 7 oz. sugar and whip into a thick ribbon.
• Slowly add oils, followed by milk.
• In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix the rest of the sugar and the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in stages until thoroughly combined.
• Divide equally among baking forms.
• Place on center rack of oven and bake until golden brown and firm to touch.
• When cool enough to handle, un-mold and let cool on rack.
• Mix reserved zest and 2 Tbs. orange juice.
• Whisk in sifted powdered sugar until the mixture reaches desired thickness.
• Glaze cakes with sugar-orange mixture and garnish with more dried lavender.
(Adapted from Nick Malgiei’s The Modern Baker)
Photo by Carmen Troesser
This article appears in Oct 1-31, 2010.