Two twists on a classic olive oil cake make this recipe something special. First, blitzing fresh rosemary and granulated sugar together in a blender creates a deeply fragrant green-tinted mixture that imbues the cake with pine-y, woodsy flavor. Secondly, spiking a simple caramel sauce with blood orange juice adds brightness and color that enhances every bite. Feel free to use the juice from navel or Valencia oranges if you can’t find blood oranges.
Ingredients
10–12 servings
Cake
⅔
¾
¼
1
½
1
½
½
½
4
¾
Caramel and assembly
3
1
½
1
1
Special equipment
Preparation
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Cake
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Generously brush sides and bottom of pan with extra-virgin olive oil. Line bottom with a parchment paper round and brush parchment with oil. Pulse ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar and ¼ cup (packed) rosemary leaves in a blender or food processor until combined (some small pieces of rosemary are okay).
Step 2
Whisk 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (63 g) whole wheat flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. baking soda, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine. Stir together ½ tsp. vanilla extract and ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl.
Step 3
Transfer rosemary sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large bowl and use a hand mixer). Add 4 large eggs and beat on high speed until mixture is doubled in volume, pale, and thick but still pourable, about 4 minutes.
Step 4
Reduce speed to low and, with motor running, gradually drizzle in oil mixture and beat until combined. Add half of dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add ¾ cup sour cream and beat just to combine. Turn off mixer and fold in remaining dry ingredients with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape bottom and sides of bowl, until incorporated. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth surface.
Step 5
Bake cake until golden brown, puffed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35–40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool slightly in pan. Remove sides from pan and turn cake over onto rack. Peel off and discard parchment paper; transfer cake to a cake stand or platter.
Do ahead: Cake can be baked 1 day ahead. Let cool completely. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.
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Caramel and assembly
Step 6
While the cake is baking, halve 2 medium blood oranges or navel oranges and squeeze juice into a fine-mesh sieve set over a measuring glass or small bowl to catch seeds; discard seeds. Measure out ½ cup juice.
Step 7
Cook 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar and ¼ cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook, without stirring but occasionally shaking pan, until the color of dark honey, 9–11 minutes.
Step 8
Reduce heat to medium-low and add ½ cup heavy cream, room temperature, blood orange juice, 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and a big pinch of kosher salt (caramel will bubble up and it may seize into clumps). Cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula and scraping up any clumps from bottom of pan, until any hardened pieces of caramel have melted and caramel is slightly thickened, 5–7 minutes. Let cool, stirring occasionally (it will continue to thicken as it cools).
Step 9
Meanwhile, using a small knife, cut away peel and white pith from 1 Cara Cara or navel orange and remaining 1 medium blood orange or navel orange; discard. Cut between membranes of 1 orange to release segments into a medium bowl; discard membranes. Cut remaining orange into wheels.
Step 10
Just before serving, pile citrus on top of cake and pour some caramel over, allowing it to run down sides and pool around cake. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve with any remaining caramel alongside for pouring over slices.
