Recipe – Silvia Colloca’s Buttermilk, Olive Oil and Chocolate Chips Tea Cake

INGREDIENTS (serves 8)

·       280 gr (2-1/2 cups) of self-raising flour, sifted

·       150 gr (3/4 cup) of caster sugar

·       finely grated rind of one orange

·       150 gr (3/4 cup) of dark chocolate chips

·       pinch of salt

·       200 ml (3/4 cups) of buttermilk

·       80 ml (1/3 cup) of olive oil

·       1 egg, beaten with a fork

·       1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract or the seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod

HOW TO

1.  Preheat your over to 180 C (395 F).
2.  Line a cake tin with baking paper.
3. Put flour, sugar, salt , 2/3 of the chocolate chips and the orange zest in a large mixing bowl.
4. Pour the buttermilk and the oil into a jug. Add the egg and vanilla and mix with a whisk for a few seconds.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl, mix with a wooden spoon just so the batter come together, but don’ try to make it smooth. If the batter feel a little dry, add a couple of extra tablespoons of buttermilk. If too wet, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour. As all flours vary slightly, it is always a good idea to adapt quantities according to the ingredients you are working with. Lumpy, sticky batter=soft moist cake!
6. Pour the cake mix into the prepared tin, scatter the remaining chocolate chips on top and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is slightly golden and, if pierced with a wooden skewer, it comes out clean.