the cake we can't stop eating !

One of the best things about winter in

southern california is that all the

citrus trees are producing tons of fruit right now…

especially oranges and lemons!

It starts in early December,

which I think is perfect for cold and flu season,

and is still going strong now in mid February.

I have several lemon trees and one very special

navel orange tree that has the juiciest fruit,

so perfect for munching on or for baking!

Just look at these beauties...

That brings me to this amazing cake…

My husband’s aunt and uncle are visiting from New York City and we wanted to treat them to a special home-cooked meal.

I totally love them because they’re so cultured, but yet so down to earth. And, they love a good theme dinner as much as I do!

I’ll never forget when they entertained us at their country home in Bedford, New York and created a whole French themed dinner with a movie for us! Aunt Jackie is a fabulous cook, and I remember she made filet mignon paired perfectly with an amazing French wine and then we watched “The Scarlet Pimpernel”, a classic movie about the French revolution.

So for our evening hosting them, we had an Italian-Argentine theme which featured flank steak with chimichurri sauce and this amazing Orange Olive Oil Cake.

I’ve made this cake dozens of times because it’s a family favorite, and my oldest son always requests it for his birthday. If you’ve never had a cake made with olive oil, you’re in for a real treat! 

And add to it freshly zested and juiced oranges, and you literally will find it hard to stop at just one piece. My grandmother made olive oil cakes all the time. It's very typical in Italy.

Orange Olive Oil Cake

Butter, for greasing the pan

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Juice and zest of 1 orange (about 3 tablespoons juice, 1 tablespoon zest)

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. 

Mix together the sugar and eggs in a medium bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until blended and light. Drizzle in the olive oil and vanilla and mix until light and smooth. Add the orange juice and zest and mix well.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another medium bowl. Add the flour mixture half at a time to the wet ingredients and mix on low just to incorporate. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let the cake cool 15 minutes, dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.   (Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian)

Don’t be intimidated. This cake is soooo easy to make. It’s my first time baking it in this cute heart-shaped silicone pan from Ikea. I topped it with thinly sliced tangerines which soaked a little extra juice into the cake.

It was a real hit with Uncle Bob, who had three pieces! The cake disappeared so fast on Wednesday night, that I made another one yesterday and that one disappeared within hours too! It really pairs nicely with wine, coffee, tea or milk. 

I love to dip it in my morning cappuccino!

I really hope you try making this cake, and if you do, please let me know how you like it!

ciao! fabiana

p.s.  Remember the lovely weekend

my husband and I had staying at

the Plaza La Reina in Los Angeles? 

These rooftop photos were taken there!

p.p.s. The mangia jacquard napkins are from World Market.

weekend wrap-up

Necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels

Gown by Gucci 

Hi guys, happy Saturday! Hasn’t the beginning of the new year been moving along quickly? With the hustle and bustle of the holidays over and done with, this is my favorite time to move forward with new opportunities and meet up again with old friends.

With all the anticipation of starting the year with a blank slate, I’ve got all sorts of project ideas swirling around in my head, plus a few things I want to share with you all!  

Victoria, the Masterpiece series starts up again tomorrow night. Did you happen to catch this series last year? It's the best thing to hit the screen since Downton Abbey. Visually  it's gorgeous and authentically recreated in a seriously breathtaking manner, from the costumes and jewelry to the locations and historic events. The role of young Queen Victoria is beautifully acted by Jenna Coleman. Here she is in a natural setting, without the signature blue contacts she wears to portray Victoria on the show, wearing Victorian inspired jewels. 

Necklace and ring by Faberge & Gemfields

Dress by Balmain 

Victoria airs Sunday night, January 14 at 9pm on PBS.

Necklace and ring by Cartier

Dress by Alberta Ferretti 

If you liked my last post on Hilary Duff’s home, here are a few more pics. I still can't get over how fabulous those pink front doors are!

And that tile in the kitchen... wow!

And speaking of tile...

My husband and I are headed to LA this weekend to check into the Plaza La Reina hotel in Westwood. The style and grace of this locale harkens back to 1920’s Santa Barbara. Look for more on this 5 star boutique hotel from me very soon! Above, Laura Dern strikes a pose on the beautifully tiled staircase of the Plaza La Reina. 

Could this be a fabulous boutique hotel somewhere in Italy? No, it's a secluded little enclave in the heart of Los Angeles, and I can't wait to visit Plaza La Reina in Westwood this weekend. 

💕

It looks like the perfect little overnight getaway that would be romantic enough for Valentine’s day!

A Winter White Coastal-Inspired Dinner Party

Among the ideas swirling around in my head are specific themes I’m going for in upcoming tablescape projects. Here are a few mood boards I’ve put together for January and February.

A Fresh and Fun Valentine Celebration

An Old New Orleans-Style Mardi Gras Dinner Party 

And lastly, remember my thrifting adventure earlier in the week? Well, I spotted a sad little antique drop-leaf secretary desk that had the most delicate silhouette for only $25. It was terribly battered and beat up, so I walked away from it, knowing that I absolutely had no room in my house for it anyways.

Well, guess what? I couldn’t stop thinking about it for two whole days. I kept envisioning it painted white with a pop of Tiffany blue inside. Wouldn't it make a fabulous bar? So, I went back thinking there was only a slight miniscule chance that it would still be at the Goodwill Store.

You guessed it! I got lucky. There it was... and now here it is in my home waiting for a little wood filler, pretty paint and lots of TLC.     

ciao! fabiana

photo credit:

Jenna Coleman from InStyle Magazine

Villa La Reina, Los Angeles