Postpartum Pantry: Olive Oil Cake & Maple Whipped Cream

This is truly a cake for all occasions - picnics, holidays, mother’s circles, birthdays, served with coffee or just because. It’s easy to whip up, keeps incredibly well (and in my opinion tastes even better the second day!) and has a decadent yet still light flavor. I have made it over and over again!

In the context of this blog, I picture it as a beautiful gift to drop off in celebration of a new baby! If homemade whipped cream feels out of reach, it’s great served in a simple way with a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar on top or all by itself.

A shout-out is due to Sara Forte’s Cooking Club where I found the original recipe glammed up with figs & mascarpone. She is my favorite food blogger of all time, and you can find lots of delicious recipes on her blog Sprouted Kitchen too.

OLIVE OIL CAKE WITH MAPLE WHIPPED CREAM

CAKE INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup orange juice

• zest from 1/2 an orange

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

WHIPPED CREAM INGREDIENTS

• ~ 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• maple syrup to taste (probably ~ 2-3 tablespoons)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350*F (176* C) and grease a 9 inch (23cm) round cake pan. If you are planning to pop the cake out of the pan, it’s immensely helpful to line the pan with a rounded parchment paper and then add another smear of butter on top of the paper.

Whisk the eggs, milk, olive oil, orange juice, and zest until well combined. (Blend on med/low if you are using a mixer). Add the sugar and whisk a bit more until it’s all blended together.

Next add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and blend on low until just combined. Don’t overmix! However if you notice unmixed lumps, let the batter sit a couple minutes and then restir or mix on low again for just a bit.

Add the batter to the cake pan and bake it for 50-60 minutes. In my oven it always takes 60 minutes or even a bit more, but every oven is different so keep an eye on it. You’ll know it’s done when there are no jiggles and you can insert a toothpick cleanly into the center. It will be quite brown on top (more than the typical baked good), but this does not affect the flavor or moisture of the cake.

While the cake is baking, make the whipped cream. The measurements are my best guess because I’ve never actually measured the ingredients for this - you can increase or decrease depending how much whipped cream you like. Use a mixer on med/high to whip the heavy cream until it starts to thicken. Then add the maple syrup to taste. Continue whipping until the texture is fluffy and keeps its shape when you scoop a spoonful. However, be mindful that if you whip the cream for too long, it will start to turn to “butter” and there’s no coming back from that.

Allow the cake to fully cool before removing it from the pan or applying frosting. Cake keeps well for a few days at room temp, covered with saranwrap or under a glass cake cover dome. I have not attempted freezing it, but it likely would freeze well when wrapped tightly with saranwrap and then a layer of aluminum foil.

Serve in individual pieces with whipped cream or frost the entire cake with whipped cream. You can also decorate it with oranges or strawberries for an extra burst of color (but these fruits do overpower the delicate flavor of the cake). Serve with tea or coffee for an extra cozy factor!

NOTES

** For cupcakes: Bake ~20-25 minutes

** Favorite baking tools: liquid measuring cup / hand mixer / muffin tin / zester

A cake for all ages!