Chef notes
This is a recipe that my grandmother used to make. It's simple, delicious and can be dressed up in any number of ways — including with poached or sautéed fruit.
Technique tip: It is important to whisk the olive oil, eggs and sugar very well.
Swap option: You can swap orange rind and orange liqueur for the lemon and limoncello.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons limoncello
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- kosher salt
Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 350 F. Brush an 8-inch round cake pan with olive oil and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Line the bottom with a round of parchment.
2.Whisk the olive oil, sugar, lemon zest, eggs and yolk in a large bowl until the mixture is light, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, limoncello and vanilla until smooth. Add the 1½ cups flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and whisk until just smooth.
3.Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
4.Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then unmold and cool completely before serving.
