Silky olive oil cake is the simple dessert you haven’t tried yet

Cakes. How I love thee.

But I’m always intimidated by them. I feel as though cakes have a mind of their own; and, if it had a real face, there would be a constant smirk on it.

I think that if a cake could talk, it would tell you to go away and leave her alone. She would tell you that she is too pretty and too good for you to even try making her. Anyone else feel this way about cakes?

For that reason, when it comes down to baking a cake, I just go with something that sounds simple and delicious, but the really delicious part comes only when I add an awesome frosting to it. That stuff can always disguise a questionable food. Luckily for us, this olive oil cake and vanilla cream cheese frosting turned out to be amazing.

If I had to sum it up in a few words, it would be: silky, moist, sweet. A friend of coffee, tea or milk.

P.S. I had it for breakfast and loved it even more.

Olive oil cake with vanilla cream cheese frosting recipe

Serves 12 to 14

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour | Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes + cooling time

Ingredients:

For the cake

• 4 large eggs
• 1-3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (choose one that is very light in color)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

For the vanilla cream cheese frosting

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup milk (you may need less or more)
• Walnuts, halved, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare a bundt pan by greasing it with cooking spray and dusting with flour; shake off any excess and set aside.
3. In your mixer’s bowl, combine eggs and sugar; beat at medium speed for 3 minutes or until pale yellow.
4. Slowly pour in the olive oil; continue to mix until thoroughly combined.
5. Add vanilla.
6. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add flour and heavy cream, 1/3 of each at a time, beginning and ending with the flour.
7. Pour cake batter into previously prepared bundt pan.
8. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove cake from the oven and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
10. Invert cake on a cooling rack and let completely cool before adding the frosting.
11. In the meantime, prepare the vanilla cream cheese frosting.
12. In your mixer’s bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter; beat at medium speed until completely smooth.
13. Add powdered sugar and continue to mix until thoroughly combined.
14. Mix in the vanilla.
15. Add milk, about a tablespoon at a time, beating the mixture until it is smooth and just thin enough to pour. The frosting should be very thick, but thin enough to be able to pour it over the cake.
16. Slowly pour the frosting over the cooled cake.
17. Add halved walnuts over the frosting.
18. Cut and serve.

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