This may be the only cake that can be described as both healthy and delicious.  It’s sweetened primarily by freshly squeezed orange juice and uses extra virgin olive oil instead of butter.   We’re always low on calcium (hence the oranges) and, unlike butter, the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil are endless.  It is actually hypothesized that extra virgin olive oil consumption may explain why some of the oldest people in the world live in Crete, Greece – the epicenter of the Mediterranean (olive oil focused) diet.  This cake is easy to make and is good to have around as a sweet snack or serve as a dinner party dessert.

Zoe is a junior at Brown University where she studies Biology and Literary Arts. She’s an avid runner, cupcake consumer, Grey’s Anatomy viewer and lab geek.

**Recipe**

Orange and Olive Oil Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Butter for greasing pan
2 oranges
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain (or Greek) yogurt
3 large eggs
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, add the zest of 2 oranges, sugar, eggs, yogurt and olive oil.  Squeeze in the juice of 1 orange.  Cut another peeled orange into ¼ inch cubes and add to the bowl.  Mix well.  In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

Add the wet and dry ingredients together and stir well.  Pour the batter into the greased pan.  Bake for approx 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.