Orange-Walnut Olive Oil Cake with Sweet Yogurt

The story: according to Power Foods, olive oil cakes are popular in Italy. They're usually made with orange-flavored liqueurs, but this recipe uses orange juice/zest instead, and it replaces the usual refined granulated sugar with brown sugar. The recipe called for dark brown sugar, which I really wish we'd had on hand, but we didn't so I used golden brown sugar instead. Definitely going to dark brown next time; I think it would give it a richer flavor and color. The cake also has finely ground walnuts in it, and plain Greek-style yogurt (sweetened with a little confectioner's sugar) on the side.

When you taste this cake, you can really pick out the orange. A bit of this is pretty much an explosion of orange and a pronounced fruity flavor, in combination with the occasional crunch of walnut. The yogurt goes perfectly. I never really thought of using yogurt as a replacement for, let's say, whipped cream. That's an idea for you health nuts out there.

Overall, this cake was different, but it really grows on you. It's moist and smooth, aside from the crushed walnuts. It's like a citrusy spice cake. I did add a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Just a touch, and I think it worked well. I probably wouldn't serve this to someone who doesn't like to "eat outside of the box," but if you like healthy alternatives and vibrant citrus flavor, then this is the cake for you. ;)