Not Your Mama's Cake

{photograph courtesy here}

Olive-Oil Anise Cakes

{"Living" December 08}

I was a bit skeptical about these at first, but they turned out tasting like lemon poppyseed cake, which in my kitchen, is not a bad thing! Because mini bundt cake pans weren't available at my pleasure, I used mini loaf pans instead, yielding two.

Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 packed teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons anise seeds, lightly toasted
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat four 1-cup mini Bundt pans with cooking spray. Whisk eggs, yolk, granulated sugar, orange zest, and anise seeds in a medium bowl until foamy. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until combined.
Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Fold into egg mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter evenly among pans, and bake until light gold and testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve warm.