Citrus Olive Oil Cake -- The Kitchen Side of the Window

Fourth of July. Third year in our backyard. The tradition is now the biggest event on the Turner-Moreland social calendar (not that the calendar has many events — we're not exactly the Met Gala crowd). Gary on the grill. Linda's potato salad. My baked beans. Cody's fireworks. The full family: sixteen people plus a three-week-old baby (Paisley, who slept through everything, because Moreland babies sleep through everything, because Moreland babies are pragmatists who understand that noise is inevitable and sleep is more valuable).

Wyatt is almost three and has graduated from fearing fireworks to ignoring them. He sat in my lap and ate watermelon and watched the sky with mild interest, like a man at an art gallery who appreciates the work but isn't moved by it. Harper read a book on the porch by the porch light. Brayden lit sparklers with Tyler (Tyler is now at every Turner holiday, which makes him an honorary cousin, which makes his mother — who drops him off with a casserole dish of something — an honorary aunt). The children are creating their own traditions within our traditions. The holidays are layered now: the parents' layer (food, setup, cleanup), the kids' layer (sparklers, running, screaming), and the grandparents' layer (sitting, watching, being grateful).

I stood at the kitchen window and watched the fireworks reflected in the glass. Behind me: the counter, the skillet, the remnants of dinner. In front of me: the yard, the family, the lights in the sky. The window is a dividing line between the kitchen and the world, and I exist in both, and the existing is enough.

Every year I’m in charge of the baked beans, and every year I think I should also bring a dessert — something that doesn’t require refrigeration or a lot of fuss, something that can sit on the counter and just be ready when people wander back inside. This citrus olive oil cake is exactly that. It’s got the same unhurried quality as that whole evening — Wyatt in my lap with his watermelon slice, the fireworks reflected in the kitchen glass — something simple that turns out to be quietly, completely enough.

Citrus Olive Oil Cake

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest (about 1 orange)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat eggs and sugar. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and granulated sugar together vigorously for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened.
4. Add wet ingredients. Whisk in the olive oil, milk, lemon zest, orange zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until well combined.
5. Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined — a few small streaks of flour are fine. Do not overmix.
6. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40—45 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 180mg