Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

There are some cakes that I make over and over again.
This is one of them.

This recipe is based on Dorie Greenspan's Clementine Olive Oil Cake, but since I had these beautiful blood oranges, why not use them instead!

I love a loaf cake, and Greek yogurt with olive oil in the mix makes it seem Mediterranean to me.

I have made this loaf a million times using all types of citrus, fruit and herbs. Using what fruit is in season.
It is a basic olive oil cake recipe, and you need this in your cake repertoire....(that is, if you have one!).

It comes out moist and perfect every time.

Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake: (adapted from Everyday Dorie)

1 cup sugar
2 blood oranges (or clementines)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup plain, low-fat or nonfat Greek-style yogurt (I used Fage 2%)
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mild-flavored olive oil
2 tablespoons honey, for glazing (optional)

Zest the 2 blood oranges and add them to a large bowl w/ the sugar.
Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix the zest with the sugar until it starts to resemble wet sand and the smell of orange is coming thru!

Add in the yogurt and mix. Next, add in the eggs, one at a time, incorporating.

Add in flour, salt and baking powder. Batter will be yellow and thick.

Add in the olive oil and mix. The batter will be nice and shiny.

Cut the oranges into thick slices, then cut the pith around them so only the segments remain.

Add some of the little blood orange segments to the batter so your cake will have nice red flecks inside.

Butter a loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out.

Place the rest of the citrus segments on top of the batter to dot to the cake.

Bake 50-60 minutes in a 350F preheated oven.

Let cake rest 5 minutes in the pan then invert onto cooling rack.

You can warm the honey in the microwave for 10 seconds and brush over the warm cake if you like. Powdered sugar is also nice.

Best made the day before so flavors have time to mingle.

Enjoy!