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The Sicilian Table: Scacce & Stories - Agata’s Recipe

Comfort food, whether it be a way of fulfilling a food desire and therefore satisfying a craving, or having an amazing ability to echo a connection with time, comfort food without a doubt generates contentment.  Preparing a comfort food that elicits a memory from our past is what Marcel Proust called a 'Proustian moment'; the journey of memory on which we go on and through that journey the resurrection of memories of those who cared for us in the past. These are dishes that we remember our mothers and grandmothers preparing - good food served at their tables that convey their love for us. Memories of when we knew beyond question that someone cared for us through the act of placing food in front of us and saying mangia! mangia! (eat!)  In this post, not only am I sharing a recipe for a Sicilian pie typical of the region of Ragusa, but also making a call out for any Sicilian friends out there who would like to be part of a project I am currently working on. More about this lat...

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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