Orange-Scented Olive Oil Cake

Three and a half years ago, we had just moved into our first place together, a one-bedroom apartment in North Berkeley.  We were new to California, and we had no friends or family nearby.  I was looking for a job, and we had no income until Sarah's grad student stipend came in August.  

And then one day, we heard a knock on the door.  Anna was new to town, too, living upstairs in a studio apartment, and wanted to share the cost of our wireless internet.  Turned out she was a first year graduate student as well, had two adorable cats, and liked food as much as us.  And just like that, we had a neighbor and a friend.

Over the next year, we ate cookies and played games together, and we met Kyle when he came along.  By the next summer, we had all moved on to bigger and better living situations, but we stayed in touch.  We took hikes, ate dinner, and they watched our cat when we went to Germany.  They celebrated our marriage with us in the fall, and the next summer, we were celebrating theirs.

They recently had us over for dinner.  They made pizza, the logistics of which were somewhat complicated.  The sauce had a funny taste, and the crust would not slide into the hot over.  However, everything was delicious, and the conversation, as always, was delightful.

And I brought the cake.  A sweet winter cake with subtle orange and olive oil flavors.  A moist cake with a sugary glaze.  A cake that is the perfect ending to an evening with friends, friends who may not be your closest and with whom you may fall out of touch, but who shared your first year 3,000 miles from anywhere and with whom you'll always share your baked goods.

Orange-Scented Olive Oil Cake

Serves 8-12

2 oranges
2 1/3 c sugar
2 1/2 c four
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
4 eggs
6 T olive oil
1/4 c fresh orange juice
1/4 c powdered sugar

Trim the tops and bottoms of the oranges.  Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot, and add the oranges.  Bring water back to a boil.  Drain, and repeat twice more.  After draining for the third time, return oranges to pot with 1 cup of sugar and 4 cups of water.  Cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and orange rind can be easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.  Let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 10 inch cake pan with butter and flour.  Whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda together and set aside.

Remove oranges from syrup, and discard any seeds.  Pulse oranges in a food processor until you have a chunky puree.  Place puree in a large bowl, and mix in remaining sugar, flour mixture, vanilla, and eggs.  Add olive oil slowing, mixing until combined.  Pour batter into pan, and bake until the middle is cooked, about 45 minutes.  Let cool for 30 minutes.

Whisk orange juice and powdered sugar together to make a thin glaze.  Remove cake from pan and place on plate.  Pour glaze over top and sides of cake, and let cool completely before serving.