Oleato Loaves And Other Wonders Of Italian Water Cake
A question I often get asked by Americans and Italians alike is what I miss the most from the States food & comfort-wise. And my answer is pretty much…nothing. I’m not attached to my national mainstays and genuinely relish the adventure of going without in another country and exploring all the possible alternatives (and there always are). It also warrants noting that Italy is hardly a country where one feels deprived of their amenities. Universal healthcare? Prosecco at Trader Joe’s prices? Affordable quality food and skincare? Ferragosto? In Ron Swanson’s voice: please and thank you.
The truth is the only creature comfort I occasionally miss from America is the coffee or rather, the way Americans drink coffee. Americans consume coffee like film noir detectives and I’m no different. While I’ll happily sip the standard demitasse of espresso at a bar caffè, a giant mug to siphon off for at least the better part of the hour is more my style. Our household has seen everything from moka pots to American drip machines, with a French press serving as the longest running compromise to date.
Ethics aside, I didn’t have strong consumer feelings for or against Starbucks until the Oleato business. It evoked the weirdest most urgent need in me to try it, y’all. The combination of olive oil + coffee made perfect sense, so when my husband and I were in Milan one afternoon I insisted on taking a detour.
Fun fact: Italians look super guilty when caught inside a Starbucks.
I opted for the Oleato Golden Foam™ Cold Brew and it didn’t disappoint nor did it give me the Vesuvian sh*ts as I was warned; long COVID took care of that if you know you know. It did, however, serve as inspiration when I was recently craving something sweet and had about two out of the dozen required ingredients.
Similar to vinegar cake which was popularized during America’s Great Depression, Italian water cake contains zero eggs or dairy, requiring only a few kitchen staples you likely have on hand already. Moreover, its blank canvas foundation means you . Chocolate water cake is still enjoyed while I’ve also seen varieties featuring lemon, orange & olive oil, berries, nuts & sultanas, and even flowers.
It’s strongly recommended that you make water cake in an 8 or 9 inch cake pan to avoid an overly dense result. I did not follow this rule. Maybe it’s the latent granny in me but I love a good loaf cake. Something about the no-nonsense solidness and portability appeals to me, just a big beautiful brick of cake y’know? Proceed as you see fit.
Basic Italian Water Cake Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups 00 or all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar of choice
1 cup water
1/4 cup oil of choice
2 tsp vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. In a large bowl add flour, baking powder, sugar, water, oil, and vanilla. Blend well until the batter is smooth and no lumps remain.
Pour cake batter into your prepared pan. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the surface of the cake is a light golden brown and the toothpick test comes up clean. Depending on the type of cake pan you’re using you may have to eyeball until you get the timing perfect.
Cool and serve as you please.
NOTES: For my Oleato loaf I used olive oil and fresh coffee instead of water, as well as a teaspoon of espresso (you can also use extract). For another favorite of mine, matcha water cake, I use green tea instead of water and a good heaping of matcha powder. I actually tried to take a pic of some mini matcha water cakes I made recently but they looked like swamp boogers and I’m not in the mood for an Ugly Delicious Part II.
