The Nudo farm’s nearest neighbours are the inimitable Guida and Daniele. They run Il Maniero, a fantastical new-age manor house packed to the oaken rafters with modern art, sculpture and intriguing paraphernalia. The venue plays host to weddings, funerals, christenings and any other excuse for an Italian knees-up (it doesn’t take much). They’ve recently taken also to selling their guests a tin or two of delicious Nudo olive oil. Last time we went round there for a cup of tea (a habit Guida has taken to with gusto since we moved in next door), there were a couple of tins of our lemon oil knocking around, so Guida whipped up a quick lemon olive oil cake for the kids. It has no fat in it apart from the oil so is a great cake for anyone preparing for the bikini / speedo days of summer.
Ingredients:
2 Eggs
100g/3.5oz Sugar
1½ cups flour
1 packet Dried yeast/baking powder
1/2 cup Lemon olive oil
1½ cups milk
1 tablespoong Cocoa powder
Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Whisk the eggs for a minute (in a mixer), then add the sugar and whisk for 5 minutes more. Now gently, but thoroughly, mix in the flour and baking powder. Now mix in the oil and then the milk till you have a uniform batter. Pour 2 thirds of this into a greased baking tin. With the final third, mix on the cocoa powder before pouring it into the white batter. Don’t mix it again,. but bake it for 30 minutes, keeping your nose alert for ‘done’ smells. Test it with a sharp knife or skewer – which shouldn’t come out with any gunk on it. Take out and turn onto a rack to cool.
-Recipe reprinted with permission from Jason Gibb, NUDO (www.nudo-italia.com)