You may have seen a blood orange upside-down olive oil cake before, and for good reason—they’re so pretty, and the bitterness of blood orange marries well with olive oil. This is my version, spiked with a little orange blossom water and Grand Marnier for extra orange flavor, and semolina for texture. If you can’t find blood oranges or you want something more neutral, you can skip the “upside-down” part, as this recipe makes an excellent olive oil cake on its own.
Even though I like serving this with a little sweetened yogurt alongside, the cake itself is completely dairy-free. This allows you to safely “age” it on your counter, well wrapped, for several days since olive oil–based cakes improve in taste and texture the longer they sit.
Excerpted from Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence by Claire Saffitz. Copyright © 2020 Claire Saffitz. Photographs © 2020 Alex Lau. Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.