Olive Oil Cake

Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with a little of the olive oil you will be using in the cake. Add a parchment circle and oil it. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and milk and beat until well combined. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the dry ingredients and stir until smooth with no large lumps of flour.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing the outer ring and letting it finish cooling on a rack.

In a small bowl, make the lemon glaze by combining the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Stir until well mixed. Pour glaze over cake. Store at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 4 days.

Substitutions:

• Coconut Oil Cake - A rich, dense cake that’s part fruit, part nutty: Substitute coconut oil for the olive oil and coconut milk for the milk. Add 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut and omit the lemon zest. Fold the coconut in with the dry ingredients. Bake for up to 45 minutes.
• Lime-Sesame Oil Cake - The intense, roasted flavor of sesame oil is brightened with a hint of lime: Substitute ⅓ cup sesame oil and ⅔ cup neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, for the olive oil. Substitute lime zest for the lemon zest.
• Raspberry-Olive Oil Torte - Fruity olive oil is the perfect base for a berry add-in: Use 3 eggs instead of 4. Omit the lemon juice and increase the milk to ¾ cup. Add 4 tablespoons (½ stick) melted butter to the wet ingredients. Fold 2 cups raspberries (frozen are fine) into the finished batter.
• Almond-Anise-Olive Oil Cake - A classic biscotti combination translated into cake: Omit the lemon zest and juice. Increase the milk to ¾ cup. Add ½ teaspoon almond extract to the wet ingredients and fold 1 tablespoon aniseeds into the finished batter.
• Grapefruit-Olive Oil Cake - Substitute 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest for the lemon zest and grapefruit juice for the lemon juice.
• Boozy Olive Oil Cake - A citrus liqueur is a sophisticated substitution for lemon juice: Substitute Cointreau or Grand Marnier for the lemon juice.