Meskouta (Moroccan Orange Cake)

A ray of sunshine baked into a cake

I discovered this recipe on the New York Times cooking website and decided to make it one day on a whim. Ever since, I have frequently come back to this recipe. The olive oil adds a rich moistness to the cake while the orange makes it so bright and flavorful. Straight from the oven, this orange cake has a delightful crunch on the edges. Unfortunately, the crunch dissipates after a day yet the orange flavor ripens. I love enjoying a slice of Meskouta in the morning along with a cup of tea.

So…. when I bake, I like to bake in bulk instead of just making one thing. Why go through all the effort for just one orange cake, right? As seen in the video, I quadrupled the recipe which can be found here:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022603-meskouta-moroccan-orange-cake?action=click&module=RecipeBox&pgType=recipebox-page&region=all&rank=15

Ingredients
makes 4 loaves

1040 grams AP flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons salt
720 grams sugar
8 large eggs
600 milliliters olive oil (I find olive oil to have quite a strong profile so I like to use olive oils that aren’t as pronounced for this recipe)
720 grams Greek yogurt
Zest of 8 oranges
320 milliliters freshly squeezed orange juice
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Directions - this is for FOUR cakes

1. Whisk together the 1040g flour, 6tsp baking powder, and 4tsp salt in a large bowl.

2. In another large bowl, whisk together the 720g sugar and 8 large eggs until well combined. Then add 720g Greek yogurt, 320ml freshly squeezed orange juice, 4tsp vanilla extract, 600ml olive oil, and the zest of 8 oranges to the bowl. Whisk until well combined.

3. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold together using a spatula. You don’t want to over mix and will see some lumps still in the batter. I generally just try to fold until I no longer see long streaks of flour in the mixture. Make sure to scoop all the way to the bottom since flour likes to clump there unseen!

4. Transfer the batter evenly to four loaf pans the size of around 8½-by-4½-inch. I like to use paper loaf pans the size of 9"x2"x2" or 8"x2"x2" since they are disposable and can be easily used as gifts. If you aren’t using paper loaf pans, then it is recommended to use parchment paper to make it easier to remove the cakes after baking. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan.

5. Place into a 350 degrees F oven for 40-45 minutes. Use a toothpick inserted in the center to gauge the doneness. You want there to be a few tiny crumbs on the toothpick.

6. Cool completely and enjoy!
   

These make for perfect gifts: packed individually or even given as the whole loaf!

Have you heard of Meskouta before? Or even tried the original?