Olive Oil Rosemary Cake or the Best Summer Cake I've ever had

With the return of the warm, summer weather here in New England my palette shifts to the tastes of summer,--local strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, summer squashes, tomatoes and corn very soon to follow.

I also begin to crave olive oil rosemary cake. I discovered this recipe several years ago and decided to try it when a friend of mine gave me fresh rosemary from her herb garden. Despite being a butter-free cake, this has an amazingly light, buttery sweet flavor.

Olive Oil Rosemary Cake

(Makes 8 to 10 servings)

4 eggs

¾ cup sugar

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary or 1 – 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped local, garden fresh rosemary

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (unbleached recommended)

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

non-stick cooking spray

If you are using an electric stand mixer, i.e. a big Kitchen-Aid:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 10-inch loaf pan, two 9-inch loaf pans or 8-inch by 8-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs at high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and continue to beat until mixture is very foamy and pale in color. With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Gently fold in rosemary by hand.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Pour the batter into the 10-inch loaf pan or equally distribute between the two 9-inch loaf pans.
4. If using loaf pans, bake for 45 – 50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cake is golden brown and a skewer or inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool briefly in the pan, and then tip the cake onto a rack to continue cooling.
5. If using an 8-inch by 8-inch pans, bake for 20 – 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cake is golden brown and a skewer or inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool briefly in the pan, and then tip the cake onto a rack to continue cooling.

If you are using an electric hand mixer, i.e. a Braun or Proctor-Silex:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 10-inch loaf pan, two 9-inch loaf pans or 8-inch by 8-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs at high speed for 30 seconds. Stop mixer, add sugar and then continue to beat until mixture is very foamy and pale in color. With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
3. Stop mixer and gently fold in rosemary by hand.
4. Add flour, baking powder, salt and gently fold into the egg mixture by hand until thorough folded. Pour the batter into the 10-inch loaf pan or equally distribute between the two 9-inch loaf pans.
5. If using loaf pans, bake for 45 – 50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cake is golden brown and a skewer or inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool briefly in the pan, and then tip the cake onto a rack to continue cooling.
6. If using an 8-inch by 8-inch pans, bake for 20 – 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cake is golden brown and a skewer or inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool briefly in the pan, and then tip the cake onto a rack to continue cooling.

(Reprinted from The Babbo Cookbook, by Mario Batali (Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc., 2002) in the September 2010 issue of Yoga Journal.)