Inexpensive ingredients and easy access to oranges made simple one-bowl citrus cake recipes like this one popular locally before the founding of the State of Israel and in the country’s early years. This one comes from Israel’s late first lady Nechama Rivlin who was raised in a family of citrus farmers on a moshav in the Sharon region. It is a dry cake, Rivlin notes. She recommends slicing it widthwise and filling it with orange or whipped cream to add richness.
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons / 200 ml neutral oil (canola or corn)
1 cup / 240 ml orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and coat the bundt pan with nonstick spray, lightly flour it (too much flour will form lumps on the prepared cake) and spray again. Whip the egg whites on high speed until foamy, 1 minute. Slowly add in ¾ cups of sugar until stiff peaks form, 3-4 minutes.
Mix the yolks and the remaining ½ cup of the sugar in a mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale yellow and doubled in volume, 4-5 minutes. Add the orange zest and mix to combine. On medium speed, gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt just until combined. Slowly drizzle in the oil and orange juice until incorporated and the mixture is smooth Fold the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture in three separate additions until the mixture is uniform and pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes until puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake has moist crumbs clinging to it.
Remove the cake from the oven and immediately invert it onto a baking rack. Allow it to cool 10-15 minutes Flip onto a plateand tap the bottom of the pan to help release the cake. If you like, dust with powdered sugar before serving.
