Mandarin, lime & basil olive oil cake

I have an affinity for French and Italian not-too-sweet cakes. Those kind of snacking cakes that are equally perfect with a glass of sweet wine in the afternoon or in the morning with a cup of coffee. You can dress it up with zabaglione and fruit depending on season (e.g. I am planning on serving it with caramelised mandarins and a vin santo zabaglione tonight).

It really is such a versatile cake - swap out the citrus fruits, use your favourite olive oil. You can even brush the warm cake with 2-3 tbsp. amaretto, creme de chataigne or frangelico and a squeeze of orange juice and serve with vanilla ice cream for a decadent dinner party dessert.

It keeps well for a good 2-3 days, wrapped tightly in clingfilm, on the kitchen counter, but around here the hungry ghosts seem to find them long before that.

Mandarin, lime & basil olive oil cake

Makes 1 23cm cake

240g sugar
2 eggs
200ml basil infused olive oil
160ml buttermilk
Zest of 1 lime
Zest of 1 mandarin
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. mandarin juice
220g all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. fine salt
Optional, handful of pine nuts

Preheat oven to 175C. Grease a 23cm (9inch) cake pan and line the bottom with parchment. I like a handful of pine nuts in the bottom of the pan, it adds a delicious crunchy texture as well as a wonderfully buttery flavour. Feel free to leave them out!

Whisk together sugar, eggs, olive oil, buttermilk, citrus juice and zest. Sieve together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the wet ingredients until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Dust with icing sugar and serve.