Citrus Olive Oil Cake

From the garden

• 4 medium mixed citrus (lemons, oranges, mandarins, yuzu, or any homegrown citrus you have), 3 zested, all juiced · you need the zest of 3 fruits and about ½ cup juice; a mix of sweet and tart is best

From the pantry

• ¾ cup olive oil · use a fruity oil you like the taste of: it is the flavor of the cake, not a background fat
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar · 1 cup for the batter, ¼ cup for the syrup
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½ tsp salt

1. Heat the oven to 350°F, oil a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment. Zest 3 of the fruits onto 1 cup of the sugar and rub the two together with your fingertips until the sugar is damp, yellow, and fragrant.
2. Whisk the eggs into the citrus sugar for a minute, until pale and slightly thickened, then pour in the olive oil in a steady stream while whisking. Whisk in the yogurt and 2 tablespoons of the juice.
3. Fold in the flour mixture and the salt in two additions with a spatula, stopping the moment the last dry streaks disappear. Scrape into the pan and level the top; the batter is loose and pourable, which is correct.
4. Bake 40–45 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the center springs back when pressed, and a skewer comes out with a crumb or two. Meanwhile simmer the remaining ¼ cup sugar with ⅓ cup of the juice for 3 minutes.
5. Prick the hot cake all over with a skewer and spoon the warm syrup over it a little at a time, letting each addition soak in before the next. Cool completely in the pan before turning it out.