Warm and Tender: Spiced Pumpkin, Olive Oil & Orange Cake

This fall cake with warm and spicy undertones is perfect for Thanksgiving. Buttery olive oil adds richness and makes a moist and tender crumb. A bright citrus icing lends contrast. This recipe comes from the Zaitoun: Recipes from the Palestinian Kitchen by Yasmin Khan, a gorgeous cookbook full of excellent recipes, stories, and practical wisdom.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Spiced Olive Oil and Orange Cake
From Zaitoun: Recipes from the Palestinian Kitchen

Ingredients
For the Cake
2/3 cup olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 cup superfine sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1/2 organic or unwaxed orange
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp lemon juice

For the Icing
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Finely grated zest of 1/2 organic or unwaxed orange
3 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp lemon juice
Handful of toasted pepitas or pistachio nibs, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Lightly oil a 10 x 4 in. (or 9 x 5 in.) loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Sift all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl to combine well.
2. In an electric mixer, beat the sugar, both oils and the orange zest until combined and smooth. Gradually beat in the eggs, one by one, until the batter turns paler. With the machine on low, gently stir in the dry ingredients. Finally, fold in the pumpkin puree and lemon juice, being careful not to lose too much air from the mixture.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for around 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven, eave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then tip it out onto a wire rack.
4. When the cake is completely cool, make the icing. Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a large bowl, then mix in the orange zest, 3 tbsp of orange juice and the lemon juice until you have a thick paste. If you need to loosen it a bit, add 1 tsp more orange juice at a time. Spoon the icing over the cake and finish with a sprinkling of toasted pumpkin seeds, or pistachio nibs.