I am making an olive oil cake.
So for this cake, I have flour and baking powder, sifted,
corn meal, sugar, eggs, olive oil, milk,
limoncello, lemon zest, grated pear and sliced pear.
Gonna start with the eggs.
I love that-
The limoncello!
I was gonna say that, the limoncello is so good.
Whip the eggs and the sugar until they're really light,
a light, light yellow and they have some volume
and almost looks like a mousse.
Okay, so it's gonna take three, four minutes
to beat those eggs to get them
to a real light, light, light, yellow, fluffy,
almost like lemon mousse would look,
but while you're doing that you can lightly butter
the bottom and insides of a nine inch spring bunt
and then dust it with flour,
tap out the flower and take some sliced pear and set them,
going all the same direction, of course,
so it's pretty, in the bottom,
makes for pretty, pretty when it's baked.
This is so fast and easy, I promise.
I'm using Anjou pears just because they're not as wet
as many of the other.
Now, take your mixing bowl and you're gonna add the zest,
the limoncello and the grated pear
and we're gonna just stir with a whisk,
until incorporated, stir it with a whisk.
Just get it in there.
Then we're gonna add the corn meal,
stir till incorporated.
Then we're gonna add the olive oil.
We're gonna kind of alternate
between liquid, dry and wet.
Stir till incorporated.
Then you're gonna add the flour.
It's gonna get a little hard to stir.
Once it's incorporated you're gonna add the whole milk.
Stir till well combined.
It's gonna be a little thicker than regular,
but it's gonna have the consistency of pound cake batter.
Okay.
Combined.
Pour.
It'll be a little grainy.
You should not have lumps
but it will be a little coarse
and you're gonna bake in a 325 degree oven
for 50 to 55 minutes.
When you take the cake out of the oven, cool on a wire rack
until completely cool,
room temperature, you can touch it,
then release it from the pan and invert it
and that's what it should look like.
It's about the consistency of pound cake
and it's really nice if you serve it
with some sliced fresh pear.
And she really means to sound
a little more excited about it.
(Rachael laughing)
I'm using the big-
This is Italy, baby.
John needs to give you another lemon soda.
No, listen.
Secret, I'm using the big knife-
Oh, and she's using a big knife.
I thought you'd be so proud of me.
Can I help?
I don't even see it in here.
Wait, wait, here it is.
Oh yeah, there it is.
Here it is.
Every time I say, "Maria, chop onions, Maria, do this.
"Can you help me with that?"
She gets the smallest knife in the drawer,
the paring knife
and so she used a chef knife.
That's so sweet.
I was trying to make you proud of me but I was so nervous.
But by the way, you don't need to use a chef knife-
Can I have some cake?
(Maria and Rachael laughing)
Yes, please have some.
Big knife, pear olive oil cake.
Big talent, big talent who loves baking in Italy.
Yes.
She's here (indistinct) doing it.
I do, I do.