Monday, February 4, 2008

What to do with lemons

We were stuck inside with chest colds this weekend, so I spent a lot of time cooking and contemplating my sour blogging mood. I'm not sure I came to any any real conclusions, but I found a nice recipe for olive oil cake.

Fragrant Olive Oil Cake with Fresh Thyme

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon each grated orange and lemon zests
1-1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat eggs, zests, thyme, and sugar until light and frothy. Whisk in the flour mixture until almost incorporated, then whisk in buttermilk and olive oil. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool the cake on a rack for 5 minutes, then invert to cool completely. Top with confectioners' sugar.