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Ingredients
Cake
⅔ cup olive oil plus more for the pan
150 g granulated sugar- ¼ cup rosemary leaves packed
125 g all-purpose flour- 63 g whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt or use half as much Morton kosher salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
¾ cup sour cream
Caramel
- ½ cup blood orange or navel orange juice
- 200 g granulated sugar
¼ cup water
½ cup heavy cream at room temperature for mixing
1 tbsp lemon juice
kosher salt a pinch, to taste
To finish
- 1 blood orange or navel orange peeled and cut into segments or wheels
- 1 Cara Cara or navel orange peeled and cut into segments or wheels
flaky sea salt to finish
Equipment
Equipment images are illustrative. Exact products may vary.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Brush a 9-inch springform pan generously with oil. Line its base with parchment and brush the paper with oil.
- Pulse the cake sugar and rosemary in a blender or food processor until combined with small pieces of herb. Whisk both flours, baking powder, baking soda and measured salt in a separate bowl. Stir the vanilla into the measured cake oil.
- Beat the rosemary sugar and eggs on high speed for about 4 minutes, until pale, thick and roughly doubled in volume. On low speed, gradually drizzle in the oil mixture. Mix in half the dry ingredients, then the sour cream. Fold the remaining dry mixture in by hand, scraping the bowl.
- Transfer to the pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden, puffed and a tester comes out clean. Cool slightly on a rack, remove the springform sides, turn out and peel away the parchment. Set right-side up on a serving plate.
- For the caramel, dissolve the caramel sugar in its water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring. Stop stirring and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, for about 9–11 minutes, until a deep golden honey color.
- Lower the heat and carefully add the cream, orange juice, lemon juice and a pinch of salt; the mixture will bubble strongly and may clump. Stir with a heatproof spatula for 5–7 minutes, until any hardened caramel melts and the sauce thickens slightly. Let cool, stirring now and then.
- Just before serving, arrange the fresh citrus over the cake, spoon some caramel over it and finish with flaky salt. Offer remaining caramel alongside.
Notes
The base batch serves about 10–12 and uses a 9-inch springform pan. The serving control starts at 10.
Add the caramel close to serving so the cake does not sit soaking under the sauce.
Use fresh rosemary leaves, not the woody stems.
