No. 536 ITALIAN ROSEMARY CAKE

All recipe roads lead me back to Chez Pannise, and to the incredible recipes from chefs born out of this legendary restaurant-Italian Rosemary Cake.

Italian Rosemary Cake

All recipe roads lead me back to Chez Pannise, and to the incredible recipes from chefs born out of this legendary restaurant-Italian Rosemary Cake–No. 536 from the Collection.

CHEZ PANISSE CHEFS

Besides the founder & lead chef Alice Waters, so many incredible chefs did a stint at the classic Berkely Restaurant. Alice Waters really did change the California food scene with the lasting legency of farm to table cooking.

The list of alums reads like a star list of chefs including Andy Baraghani, Dan Barber, Paul Bertolli, April Bloomfield, Suzanne Goin, Joyce Goldstein, David Lebovitz, Deborah Madison, Mark Peel,Jeremiah Tower and Jonathan Waxman, to drop a few names. I am truly blessed to have eaten at all of the chefs restaurants. I was living in LA and connected Hollywood/food scene.

Rosemary is well known for having a multitude of health benefits, improving memory being one of them.  So eat your rosemary!

8 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar (I used organic cane sugar)

1 2/3 cups olive oil (I used organic extra virgin)

4 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

zest of 1 lemon, preferably organic

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

icing sugar, for garnish

mascarpone cheese (optional)

sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 325*F

Grease a bundt pan with butter, then with flour, tapping out excess.  Beat the eggs for 30 seconds.  Slowly add the sugar and beat on medium speed until mixture is quite foamy and pale, about 3 minutes.   With motor on slowly drizzle in olive oil, then mix in the rosemary and lemon zest.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat just until combined and no lumps.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 45-50 minutes in centre of oven.  Cake should be done when toothpick inserted comes out clean and cake should look golden and spring back when touched. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes then tip out onto cooking rack.  Dust with icing sugar and eat as is, or with mascarpone cheese or sweetened whipped cream. Makes a rather large cake, enough for 10 servings, at least.  Recipe from Tamar Adler, An Everlasting Meal, via Paul Bertolli, Cooking by Hand.

There's rosemary, that's for remembrance.  Pray you, love, remember. ~ William Shakespeare

"...I like this cake, because it's not too sweet that I'm quietly sad that the salad has left the table.  There are no layers or frosting; nothing to crack or leak..."  I knew it was just what I was looking for.