I love an olive oil cake for the texture and flavor. Olive oil lends an earthy, sophisticated flair to a very simple cake. Add the savory note of rosemary and you’re practically transported to a Tuscan vineyard. A big pile of softly whipped cream and berries or supremed orange segments makes for a cake worthy of brunch, dessert, or even a decadent breakfast.
This recipe is by Lidey Hueck from her delightful new book, Cooking in Real Life. No wonder Ina Garten and Erin French took her into their kitchens, where she learned from the best.
Her career is one we dream about in culinary school, to work beside the greats. It was not the stove that brought her on this path, she was originally hired to sit behind a desk, but as is true for so many of us, food became her obsession.
There are many roads to a career; hers is both charmed and full of treasures. I find her recipes have that vibe as well. The title of her debut book says it all, Cooking in Real Life, which to me means we can pull off the recipes and keep going with our busy days. This olive oil cake is so quick and easy to make, as well as being super delicious.
Giveaway
[GIVEAWAY CLOSED! Congratulations to our three winners: Sheila, Steph, and Nancy!]
I’m thrilled to give away 3 copies of Cooking in Real Life! To enter, comment below and tell me about your go-to recipe (savory or sweet!). Must be 18 years of age to enter with a US address. Contest ends Sunday, April 28 at 11:59 p.m. central time. We’ll contact the winner via email shortly thereafter. You must respond to claim your prize within 48 hours or we’ll select a new winner.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (230g) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 4-inch fresh rosemary sprigs
- Nonstick cooking spray with flour, for the pan
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup (160g) sour cream
- Grated zest of 2 lemons
- 1/3 cup (80g) freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream or confectioners’ sugar, for serving
- 3 small oranges for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a small skillet or saucepan, combine the oil and rosemary sprigs. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until the rosemary begins to sizzle, then turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes, then discard the rosemary sprigs and pour the oil into a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan at least 2 inches deep with cooking spray, and line the bottom with parchment paper, then flour the sides.
- Add the sugar to the bowl with the rosemary oil and whisk until combined. Add the eggs and whisk vigorously until thick and glossy. Add the vanilla, sour cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk gently until only small lumps remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until the edges of the cake are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve the cake at room temperature, with lightly sweetened whipped cream or a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar and the orange segments, if using. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
My go to is Auntie’s Meatloaf, comfort food and leftovers.
I can’t wait to try this Rosemary Olive Oil cake! Anything that has the edition of lemon is right up my alley.
My go to desserts are Flourless Chocolate Cake and for the youngers Magic Bars!
Cakes like this are right up my alley! But, my go-to cake (especially in the summer) is Angel Food Cake. I have chickens and to keep the eggs from piling up, I make different flavors and variations of Angel Food Cake from the whites. I recently made a coconut Angel Food Cake that turned out amazing! Who knew Angel Food Cake from scratch was so delicious?
My go to recipe for special occasions is north Douglas chocolate cake from fiddlehead cookbook in Juneau alaska
My go to recipe is curried shrimp and potatoes with naan, it’s super quick and delicious.
Dinner is spaghetti, with a sauce that has simmered for a couple of hours. Dessert is apple crisp, sour cream coffee cake and any type of cake.
This looks divine! My fav go-to recipe is one that Amy Thielen posted on her Instagram page in 2020: The Nooch’s Famous Salt and Pepper Chicken. Simple, cheap, and incredibly delicious. Chicken thighs roasted in the oven until their skins blister—crispy, salty, oh so good! My entire family eats this will happy faces!
This recipe looks wonderful! I will definitely be trying it soon. Right now my go to is rye ginger scones with Swedish Pearl sugar on top, homemade butter and homemade rhubarb, hibiscus, cherry jam.
My go to is almost always sweet. Because sweet ❤️. Something comforting to make as well as to eat!
Go to recipe is Zoe’s Super Bowl Bars! I get to feel like a mad scientist of decadence making it and I LOVE friends guessing what is in them. Thank you for the fun recipes and I can’t wait to try Lidey’s olive oil cake!
apricot/cherry. galette in season…sooo delicious…..
My go-to is either Silver Palate’s Banana Cake or Mauda Heater’s Lemon Poundcake.
Go to recipe? One published years ago by Land O Lakes. Rosemary, almond paste and corn meal. Keeps well for days! When stone fruit is perfectly ripe one from Zoe Bakes!
The book — and cake — look amazing! My go-to recipe is Marcella Hazan’s simple tomato sauce.
blueberry buckle
I have so many go-to recipes…how to choose one?! But I guess the one I’ve been making the longest is the flourless chocolate cake from the Mast Brothers’ chocolate cookbook. It’s always a crowd pleaser! The one year I didn’t bring it to Passover (because I had a newborn) my husband’s aunt was all bent out of shape. And that’s a woman who rarely eats dessert!
Love a new cookbook! My go to recipe, Tara Jensen’s Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies! My family loves them. Happy Baking!
My grandmother’s almond cake with whipped cream and a homemade fruity sauce.
One of my go-to recipes is a orange cake by Ottolenghi but I also love a lemon poppyseed loaf ❤️ olive oil definitely takes a cake up a notch and I love the rosemary added on!
My go to recipe for comfort is always a simple banana bread recipe that doesn’t require any eggs or milk. My great Aunt Sally sent me a cookbook in 1980 from Green Springs Va full of old tried and true recipes and this was one of them.
Tuna, basil, lemon pasta. Simple but so crave worthy that my kids ask me to make it whenever they visit.
My current go to recipe is white beans with caramelized leeks.
My go to recipe is Zoe’s blueberry muffins! I always know that when I’m too tired on a Sunday night to even think about the breakfast in the mornings at my house , blueberry muffins are a quick easy answer. I have tried many recipes, and Zoe’s are the best!
My favorite recipe is your Diva cake, while it looks stunning it is very easy to make and the flavors are wonderful together.
Go-to recipe is a chocolate raspberry cake with an episode of Zoe Bakes playing while I bake! love to make a gluten-free variant for my family, as well!
My fave recipe is Zoebakes chocolate Devils cake! A Go-to chocolate cake with all kinds of topping!!
My go to recipe is our family almond cake! Moist and delicious, it is always a crowd pleaser!
This looks gorgeous! Beautiful recipe, beautifully presented. Simple AND glamorous!
Basque cheesecake!
Pavlova
Crab mac&cheese!
Can’t wait to make this with some olive oil I brought back from Italy! My latest go-to recipe (it tends to change) is basque cheesecake that gets rave reviews from everyone who eats it!
This looks fantastic. My go-to recipe would be spicy penne
My go to recipe is a kale salad from Susan Spungen. So adaptable and delicious. Everyone loves this salad!
My go-to recipe is coconut mochi cake.
My go to recipe is Ultimate Banana Bread