There is something about the bundt cake that has always resonated with my style of baking. There’s an air of sophistication and elegance in its simplicity, and I am a huge fan of beautiful things that can be put together with ease. When my wife and I first started dating and we were living in a shoebox studio apartment, I used to try to impress her with my baking prowess. I was, and still am, a big believer that the way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach. I would sit in our tiny kitchen whipping up fanciful treats trying to win her heart; but at the end of the day, it was always the simplest, most honest desserts that captured her.

This blood orange olive oil bundt is made in that simple but satisfying spirit. It is incredibly decadent, and dances between sweet and savory. Since it is Valentine’s Day, I may have snuck in some chocolate as well.

RECIPE

Blood Orange Rosemary Olive Oil Bundt Cake

Cake Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 blood orange, zested
• 6 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup of chopped dark chocolate (optional)
• 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 ¼ teaspoons of baking powder
• ¼ teaspoons of salt

Rosemary Simple Syrup

• ½ cup of water
• ½ cup of sugar
• ½ cup of rosemary, roughly chopped

Vanilla Bean Syrup

• 2 cups of confectioners sugar
• 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; butter and flour your bundt pan.
2. Massage the zested blood orange with the sugar until it becomes aromatic and moist.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer whisk together the olive oil and orange zest sugar with the whisk attachment on low speed.
4. Add eggs and yolks to the bowl one at a time.
5. Add vanilla and chopped dark chocolate.
6. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt and baking powder.
7. Add flour mixture to the olive oil mixture and whisk until everything is evenly incorporated and you’re left with a thick, glossy batter.
8. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, rotating halfway.
9. Allow cake to fully cool before turning out onto a sheet tray lined with a cooling rack.
10. Once cake has been turned out it can be soaked with the rosemary simple syrup, which can be made by adding all the ingredients to a pot and letting them reach a simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
11. Using a pastry brush, gently soak the rosemary simple syrup into the cake until all of the syrup has been absorbed.
12. To make the glaze, combine confectioners sugar, scraped vanilla bean and heavy cream, and whisk together until a thick glaze comes together. Add cream as needed to get a thick consistency.
13. Once cake has fully cooled, use a spatula to add thick dollops of the glaze to the top of the cake. Gently rock back and forth so the glaze drips down the sides.