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Fiori di Zucchine Ripieni (Filled Zucchini Blossoms)

Happy New Year, and welcome to the first post of 2026 here on The Heirloom Chronicles. Ten years ago, I was quietly sharing recipes here - family food, memories, seasons, and stories that had travelled generations and continents before landing in my kitchen. My first post, though, actually went live in 2014. I had set myself the task of cooking, documenting and photographing, all while hovering nervously over that dreaded publish button. At first, hardly anyone read those early posts. In hindsight, that was a gift. It gave me space to make mistakes, to learn, and to go back and quietly fix what I had missed, without feeling overwhelmed. Looking back at the blog’s beginnings, I’m reminded that this space was never just about recipes. It was, and still is about preserving what could so easily be lost: everyday dishes, handwritten notes, and flavours deeply tied to people and place. I'll admit that over time I've been reluctant to continue. Life, loss, and the weight of memo...
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Orange & Olive Oil Cake

 




I hope everyone is keeping safe and in good spirits as best as one can.  Lock down in Melbourne and working from home has been hard but presented many positives for me (and lets just focus on those positives!), one of which is having a cake baked to be enjoyed with an afternoon cup of tea.  The winter citruses have been shared around and kept us connected as much as possible.  There hasn't been time to preserve the harvest, so many have been enjoyed fresh or in cakes like this one.

I won't take the credit for this creation though, as it was baked by my daughter from one of mamma's simple cake recipes using only a few pantry ingredients and an orange from their garden. 

This dairy free cake is moist and full of flavour and you can substitute the orange for lemons if you so desire.  Ideally organically homegrown oranges are preferred however, if you use store bought citruses, I do recommend that you give them a good scrub before using the zest.

Mamma's recipes read very simply with no exact measurements except the use of a tea cup.  So quantities and measurements below have been converted to more conventional ones. Enough flour is added to reach the desired cake batter consistency. It is a simple one bowl and whisk type of cake making it quick and hassle free.

Orange & Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 orange (juice & zest)
150 ml olive oil
1 cup sugar
self raising flour (enough to reach cake batter consistency)


Preheat oven 180 C and grease a bunt tin with a light spray of oil. 

In a bowl whisk 3 eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the olive oil, zest and juice of an orange and continue to whisk.  As mentioned above, enough flour is added with a spoon, whisking in between until you reach the desired cake batter consistency. 

Pour batter in tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or check with a skewer and it will be ready when it comes out clean.

It also makes a lovely breakfast cake enjoyed with coffee.  

Keep safe and positive X

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