Why Make This
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The cake comes together within 10 minutes—no stand mixer is needed for this recipe.
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A sprinkle of turbinado sugar creates a caramelized, crackly top that’s irresistible.
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The cake has a moist, syrupy texture and works for breakfast, dessert, or entertaining.
Jennifer Garner occasionally takes to Instagram to share a recipe, pretending she’s hosting a cooking show, from old-school classics like Strawberry Chiffon Pie with her mom to Simply Recipes’ perfect lemonade. While Garner’s schtick is that she’s not a cooking expert, I can tell by the way she wields a whisk that her culinary prowess is just as amazing as her on-screen talent.
At one point, Garner blessed the internet with a special episode of her “Pretend Cooking Show,” in which she was joined by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo of the famed restaurant Jon & Vinny’s in Los Angeles. They joined Garner to whip up their famous lemon olive oil cake.
As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. Lucky for me, I had all the ingredients on hand, and you probably have them too.
Ingredient Tips
Amaro del Capo: Amaro is an herbal liqueur that can range from super sweet to herbaceous and medicinal. I would stick to a sweet, floral amaro for this cake, or swap it for slightly more vanilla extract if you don’t have it on hand.
Olive Oil: For the olive oil, use “good” olive oil. The cake calls for one and a half cups (yes, you read that correctly!), so the flavor of your olive oil is the star of the show. To boost the fruity and floral notes of the olive oil, fresh lemon zest and juice are added, as well as a touch of orange zest.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Molly Adams
How To Make Jennifer Garner’s Olive Oil Cake
The cake comes together by hand—there is no need for a stand mixer. In a large bowl, whisk 1 1/2 cups olive oil, 3 large eggs, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 1/4 cups whole milk, 2/3 cup lemon juice, zest of 2 lemons, 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon Amaro del Capo.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon each baking soda and baking powder, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined. In the video, Shook and Dotolo point out that a few lumps are OK; overmixing can lead to a tough cake. The speed at which I was able to put this cake together impressed me—it was in the oven within 10 minutes!
Before baking, sprinkle a 1/4 cup of turbinado sugar on top of the batter. It’ll caramelize in the oven, giving the cake a to-die-for crackly top. Bake the cake in a 350°F oven for about one hour.
The cake tastes almost like it has been soaked in a lemon syrup after baking, and is perfect with just a dusting of powdered sugar. It is truly an anytime cake. I enjoyed a slice for breakfast with my coffee, but it would be equally amazing for an elegant dinner party or spring holiday dessert.
It’s safe to say that I will be making the cake again, and I consider this my formal petition to turn Jennifer Garner’s Pretend Cooking Show into a real one.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Molly Adams
Read the original article on Simply Recipes