Mandarin Olive Oil Cake

• 1 teaspoon olive oil, for greasing the pan
• 250 g flour
• 180 g superfine sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (about 8 g)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 120 ml mild olive oil
• 125 g plain yogurt
• 100 ml mandarin juice, squeezed from about 3 mandarins
• Finely grated zest of 2 mandarins

How to make it

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 175 °C (top and bottom heat). Line the base of a 22 cm springform pan with baking paper and grease the sides with 1 teaspoon olive oil.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. 3

   In a second bowl, whisk the eggs with the olive oil, yogurt, mandarin juice and grated mandarin zest.

4. 4

   Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a whisk until just combined and no dry flour is visible. Stop as soon as the batter is smooth; there’s no need to beat it hard or for long.

5. 5

   Pour the batter into the springform pan and gently smooth the top. Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 40–45 minutes. A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs.

6. 6

   Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Release the sides and leave the cake to cool completely on a wire rack.