Mix in Pan Chocolate Cake and Orange Cake with Twist

Mix in Pan Chocolate Cake and Orange Cake with Twist

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Orange olive oil cornmeal cake is moist and velvety while mix in pan chocolate cake is rich with sweet buttercream frosting. Cornmeal adds a tasty crunch to a Mediterranean favorite.

Story and photos by Rita Heikenfeld

IN MY COUNTRY KITCHEN, the holidays may be over, but there’s still room for sweet treats made with family and friends. Is that the way it is at your house, as well?

Olive oil cakes are easy and quick to mix by hand, and they stay moist with a velvety mouth feel. They can also be made ahead of time, ready to enjoy on the spur of the moment, or given as a spontaneous gift.

I’ve got two family favorites for you to try. Orange olive oil cakes are a Mediterranean classic. This recipe has a twist — just enough cornmeal to give it a lovely aroma and slightly crunchy texture. The citrus flavor is apparent but subtle.

The chocolate mix-in-the-pan cake recipe has seemingly been around forever, with good reason. This heirloom cake has its origins in the Great Depression when butter and eggs were scarce. A bonus is that the cake can be frosted and served right from the pan.

When the doorbell rings, you can greet visitors with a relaxed smile and offer them delicious treats. Serve slices with mugs of hot buttered cider, a carafe of coffee, or a pot of hot tea.

Cake batter with cornmeal should be runny, and not as thick as traditional cake batters.

Orange Cornmeal Cake


I use virgin olive oil for a distinct flavor in this cake. If you prefer, you can use a lighter olive oil or even a neutral oil such as canola.

INGREDIENTS
½ cup olive oil
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup yellow or white cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar plus ¼ extra for top of cake prior to baking
½ cup orange juice

Egg mixture properly whisked for the orange cake.
Orange olive oil cornmeal cake right out of the oven.

TIPS

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

-Brush an 8-inch cake pan with olive oil on the bottom and sides. Place a
parchment paper circle in the bottom of the pan. Brush the parchment circle again with olive oil.
-Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt together. In a separate
bowl, whisk the eggs, 1 cup of sugar, ½ cup olive oil, and the orange juice until smooth. Pour the flour mixture over the egg mixture and whisk until smooth.
-Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Batter will be thin.
-Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup sugar.
-Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Don’t overbake. Mine took 32 minutes.
-Cool on a rack in the pan for 15 minutes.
-Run a knife around the edge of the pan and tip the cake onto a plate.
-Remove the parchment and flip the cake back onto the rack to cool completely.
-Serve as is, unadorned, or with a garnish of orange slices or seasonal fruit and a dollop of whipped cream.

Don’t Panic When It Puffs!
• Sprinkling sugar on top of this cake creates a crackly-sweet crust once the cake has cooled. It will puff up during baking but don’t worry. This is just air released by the cake batter getting trapped beneath the layer of melted sugar. It will settle a bit once it cools.

Store at room temperature, refrigerator, or freezer
• The cake keeps for several days, wrapped tightly, on the counter, or in the refrigerator.
• Cake can be frozen after it cools completely. Wrap airtight and freeze
or up to 6 months.
• If stored in the refrigerator or freezer, let come to room temperature before eating.

Olive oil cakes are easy and quick to mix by hand, and they stay moist with a velvety mouth feel.

No Parchment Paper?
• No worries — sub in aluminum foil. Don’t use waxed paper
• It’s moisture-resistant to a degree, but not heat-resistant.

Freeze citrus
• Oranges can be frozen successfully for 3 months or so. Wrap well to prevent freezer burn. Thaw before using. To my palate, there is no difference in taste and only a slight difference in texture.

mix in pan chocolate cake pan mixing
Mix-in-the-pan chocolate cake dry ingredients.

Mix-in-the-Pan Dark Chocolate Cake


A fun cake for the little ones to help with, since ingredients are hand-mixed right in the baking pan.

INGREDIENTS
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup light olive oil or neutral olive, such as Canola, vegetable, etc.
1 tablespoon clear vinegar
1½ teaspoons vanilla or ¾ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8- to 9-inch pan or brush with olive oil on the bottom and sides.
-Put dry ingredients in pan. Whisk to mix.
-Make three wells in flour mixture.
-Pour oil in one well, vinegar in another, and vanilla in the last well.
-Pour water on top of everything and whisk until smooth, making sure to scrape dry ingredients out of corners.
-Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
-Cool right in the pan. Plain or fancy — your choice. Eat as is or with a dusting of powdered sugar or frost with chocolate buttercream.

mix in pan chocolate cake finished result
Chocolate pan cake with buttercream frosting

Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting


INGREDIENTS
½ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup cocoa powder divided into two
⅓ cup whole milk, half and half or whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups or so confectioner’s sugar

INSTRUCTIONS
Beat butter and half the cocoa until a bit fluffy.
Add milk, vanilla, and rest of cocoa and beat until smooth.
Add sugar and beat well. Spread on cooled cake.
Store at room temperature, refrigerator, or freezer
• If you leave the cake unfrosted, you can store it, covered, at room temperature for several days.
• The frosted cake keeps for several days, covered, in the refrigerator.
• Cake can be frozen after it cools completely. Wrap airtight and freeze up to 6 months.
• If stored in the refrigerator or freezer, let come to room temperature before eating.
Freshness test for baking powder
• Before you start baking, test the leavening power of baking powder.
Put a spoonful in a little hot water. If it foams up right away, you’re good to go. If not, the baking powder has lost its leavening power and won’t work to raise the cake.
• Write the month and year on the top of the can lid as soon as you open it. Baking powder should last a good 6 months if sealed tightly and kept away from heat.
Buona mangiata!

RITA HEIKENFELD comes from a family of wise women in tune with nature. She is a certified modern herbalist, culinary educator, author, and national media personality. Most importantly, she is a wife, mom, and grandma. Rita lives on a little patch of heaven overlooking the East Fork River in Clermont County, Ohio. She is a former adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati, where she developed a comprehensive herbal course.
Abouteating.com column: rita@communitypress.com


Originally published in the Feb/Mar 2024 issue of Backyard Poultry magazine, and regularly vetted for accuracy.

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