“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmasssssss” - singing at the top of my voice. Okay, so Christmas is going to look very different this year, for all of us. In the spirit of finding new ways to connect with loved ones I wanted to share one of my family's traditions in hopes, it can bring you a little closer to your loved ones that may not be in your household. My family is very competitive and we found a way to bring competition to our holiday gatherings. How's that you may ask? By creating our own family Masterchef competitions! We pick a theme each year and race to create recipes that we all judge. Winners get the bragging rights for the following year and the losers, well - they complain they were robbed for the next 12 months.
While we can’t gather this year to compete, we’ve decided to all make the same recipe through Zoom simultaneously. It's such a fun activity and all the family, big and small, can participate. Here is our recipe this year, feel free to try it as well!
Picture and recipe credit: https://www.bakefromscratch.com/classic-olive-oil-cake/
Simple Olive Oil Cake Recipe
Serves: 1 (8-inch) cake
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs (150 grams)
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (112 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup (120 grams) whole milk
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) almond extract
- 1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with baking spray with flour; line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar at high speed for 30 seconds. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, beating until combined. Add milk, beating until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low. Beat in extracts.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, beating until combined, stopping to scrape sides of the bowl. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 33 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Brush with fresh olive oil or sift powdered sugar on the top Store at room temperature wrapped loosely in foil or plastic wrap.
I hope you're able to enjoy this homemade Olive Oil Cake recipe with your family and friends this holiday season. Please share any of your staple recipes or family favorites in the comments below. Happy eating and Happy Holidays!