OLIVE OIL CITRUS BARS
This one-bowl orange cake couldn't be easier or more delicious. The olive oil creates an insanely moist (sorry, there isn't a better word) cake, and the fresh orange juice and zest in both the cake and glaze keep the flavor in perfect balance. Ideal for family gatherings as either a dessert or breakfast.
Total time: 85 minutes
Active time: 25 minutes
Bake time: 60 minutes
Makes 1 cake
Ingredients for the base:
1+1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1+1/2 tsp grated grapefruit zest
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
Ingredients for the curd:
1/2 cup freshly squeeze grapefruit juice (zest the grapefruit prior to juicing)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs plus 3 yolks
1+1/2 tsp cornstarch
Pinch of fine sea salt
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
4 tbsp butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of a whole grapefruit (1-2 tbsp)
Powdered sugar for dusting
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions:
1.) Preheat a standard oven to 325° F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with a strip of parchment roughly the width of the pan, and long enough to hang over the sides of the pan (we'll use the ends of the parchment as handles to remove the bars at the end).
2.) To make the shortbread, combine flour, sugars, grapefruit zest, and salt
3.) Add all dry ingredients to the bowl. Whisk gently into the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Don't over mix; it's okay if there are small lumps in the batter, which should be quite thin.
4.) Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 60 minutes. At this point, test the cake by inserting a knife or toothpick. If it comes out clean or with crumbs (not wet batter), remove the cake. If not, bake in 5 minute increments until done.
5.) Let the cake cool for 45 minutes to an hour before removing from the pan. This will decrease the likelihood of it getting stuck. While it cools, make the glaze.
7.) Before removing, use a small rubber spatula to separate the sides from the pan gently.
adapted from NYT Cooking, Melissa Clark