Olive Oil Cake Recipe

Place golden raisins in a small bowl. Pour warm water and Marsala wine over them and let soak for 15–20 minutes until plump. Drain, reserving any remaining soaking liquid (about 1 tsp) to add to the cake if desired; pat raisins dry with paper towel.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan with neutral oil or butter and line the bottom with parchment; grease parchment as well.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined; set aside.

In a large bowl whisk the granulated sugar and eggs until combined and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes by hand. Add the milk, olive oil, vanilla extract, and orange zest and whisk until homogenous.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in two additions, mixing gently just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.

Fold the drained golden raisins into the batter, distributing evenly. If you reserved a teaspoon of the soaking liquid, fold it in with the raisins.

Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and sprinkle 2–3 tablespoons of the chopped toasted pistachios over the batter for texture (reserve the rest for garnish).

Bake for 30–40 minutes, rotating once halfway, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, invert onto the rack, remove parchment, then invert again to right-side-up. Cool completely before topping, about 1 hour.

While the cake cools, make the mascarpone topping: in a medium bowl combine mascarpone, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and spreadable—do not overwhip; you want a thick but soft spread.

Taste and adjust sweetness or cream to reach desired consistency.

Spread the mascarpone mixture evenly over the cooled cake, leaving the edge slightly exposed if you prefer a rustic look.

Scatter the remaining toasted chopped pistachios over the mascarpone, along with the soaked golden raisins (reserve a few raisins for garnish if desired). Zest a little fresh orange over the top for brightness.

Lightly dust with confectioners' sugar if desired and serve. Cake keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving for best texture.