Citrus Olive Oil Cake (from The Cake Boss)

To be honest, I was really surprised by how much of a hit this cake was. I made it the first time simply out of curiosity as to what an olive oil-flavored cake would taste like, but both the family and friends all unilaterally loved it. The olive oil itself was barely a hint of a scent lingering around the cake's center - it probably contributed more to the moistness and density than anything else - and it was usually overwhelmed by the icing anyway. But I think its very neutral nature really helped to balance the super-sweetness of the icing - anything heavier in flavor would have just made the whole thing too heavy.

• Unsalted butter, for greasing pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for pan
• 3 large eggs
• 2.5 cups granulated sugar
• 1.5 cups milk
• 1.25 cups fruity extra-virgin olive oil
• 0.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 0.25 tsp finely grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish
• 0.25 tsp finely grated orange zest, plus more for garnish
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 0.25 tsp kosher salt
• 1.25 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice

Servings: 1 bundt cake's worth of slices

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1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Grease a 10" Bundt pan or equivalent cake pan lightly with butter, then dust it lightly with flour, tapping out any excess. Put the eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl and whisk them together, then whisk in the milk, olive oil, vanilla, lemon zest, and orange zest.
3. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Working in two or three batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, whisking until smooth and fully blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake in the oven until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool partially in the pan. Then turn the cake out onto a drying rack and let cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Using a fork, stir together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice until smooth but thick. Spoon the glaze atop the cooled cake, letting it run down the sides. Garnish the top of the cake with more finely grated lemon and orange zest.

The cake itself does not have a very strong flavor - may want to throw in some lemon essence to help bring out the citrus. Since the icing itself is pure sugar, you may also want to lower the amount of sugar in the cake also if you don't want the whole thing to be over-sweet - cut back by about a quarter to half a cup of sugar.