Orange ricotta & olive oil bundt cake

This cake's sweet, citrusy aroma is filling the house like a ray of Mediterranean sunshine ☀️🍃. Although it is often associated with Easter, in our home it makes an appearance each time we get our hands on juicy oranges 🍊. Historically, olive oil cakes stem from the coastal traditions of Italy and Greece, where "liquid gold" 🫒 took the place of butter. The addition of olive oil gives the cake an incredible fruity depth and a delicately savory edge, while the creamy ricotta ensures the crumb is incredibly soft, moist and stays fresh for a long time ✨.

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Directions

Cake Batter:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Grease the pan with a bit of butter and dust with flour (you can also use olive oil). I use a single 23 cm (9 inch) pan or two 14 cm (5.5 inch) pans.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt.
Using a mixer, cream the sugar with the grated zest of 2 oranges. The sugar should turn orange and begin to smell beautiful.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the sugar. Beat it on high speed for about 5 minutes. The mixture should triple in volume.
Reduce the mixer speed and slowly add the olive oil in a small stream.
When the oil has combined with the mixture, add the freshly squeezed juice of 2 oranges.
Finally, reduce the speed and add the dry ingredients and ricotta in few batches. Mix only until the ingredients combine into a uniform mass.

Baking and Glazing:

Pour the batter into the pan and place in the oven for about 40-60 minutes (depending on the size of the pan).
Cool the cake completely before glazing.
Mix the powdered sugar with orange juice. Add only enough juice so that the glaze is fluid but still thick.
Drizzle the glaze over the cake. I also recommend topping it with some candied orange peel. It will provide additional texture and give our cake an artistic touch.