Shelly's Recipe

SICILIAN FARMHOUSE CAKE

Category: Cakes

1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Pinch of fine sea salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
2 tbsp confectioners sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly oil and flour a 12-cup bundt pan, tapping out excess flour. Sift together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt onto a piece of waxed paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until they are light and pale yellow and have doubled in volume, about 4 minutes.

With the mixer running on low speed, evenly sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg mixture, alternating with the milk and olive oil and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until blended (this step should be quick). Fold in any flour on the sides of the bowl by hand.

Transfer 1 cup of the batter to a medium-size bowl, sift the cocoa over it, and gently fold it into the batter. Pour a thin layer of the white batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Add all the chocolate batter as evenly as possible, and then pour in the remaining white batter.

Bake the cake in the center of the over until it has risen is golden, and a finger gently pressed on the top leaves just the slightest depression, about 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool on a wire rack until it pulls slightly away from the sides of the pan, about 15 minutes. Turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool to room temperature. Before serving, dust it with confectioners sugar if desired.