One of our favorite events every summer is The Sylvia Center’s Farm-to-Table dinner, hosted by Great Performances in the fields of Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, N.Y. The mission of The Sylvia Center is to inspire young people and their families to eat well through hands-on learning experiences on the farm and in the kitchen. Jenn So, director of programs at The Sylvia Center, offers us recipes the teenagers are learning to make. Cakes usually call for quite a bit of butter in them, but this cake replaces it with olive oil — a much healthier fat — and gives it a nice crumb and a fruity flavor. The addition of orange gives this cake a bright and zesty sparkle, while the cinnamon warms and makes this healthy cake a great one for winter. We love this cake with tea or coffee in the morning. Orange Cinnamon Olive Oil Cake Serves 8-10 ¾ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup whole-wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt 2/3 cup sugar 2 eggs ½ cup of olive oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 orange, juiced and zested
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or 11x7 pan. 2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. 3. Whisk together eggs and sugar until blended and light. Slowly add olive oil, vanilla, orange juice and zest. Whisk until smooth. 4. Add half of the flour mixture to wet ingredients, mix thoroughly, then add the other half. 5. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake 25-30 minutes. Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
