Mandarin Orange Olive Oil Pound Cake

Freshly made whipped cream would make this perfect....
Too bad I only had the canned stuff.  Next time I will be prepared.  =) 

I bought one of those boxes of what I thought was clementines from Whole Foods last night.  I didn't read.  They ended up being mandarin oranges.  I do love eating a mandarin just as much as a clementine but remembered that I had baked with them before and loved the flavor they added to the citrus cupcakes with mandarin frosting that I had made (I MUST post that recipe when I make them again).  This time I decided on a pound cake.

Mandarin Orange Olive Oil Pound Cake
Loosely adapted from a lemon cake recipe found on the blog Cookies on Friday

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
5 eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups olive oil
Zest of 4 mandarin oranges
Juice from same (add water until equal to 1 cup liquid)

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 9x5 loaf pans.
Sift together flour, baking powder, nutmeg and cloves.  Stir in kosher salt afterwards (it won't fit through the sifter).  Set aside. 

Add eggs to mixer and mix for one minute on medium speed.  Add sugar with mixer on medium speed and allow to mix until frothy and light yellow (about 1 to 2 minutes).

Alternate adding in flour and olive oil, beginning and ending with the flour.  Add in zest, juice and water and mix until combined.

Pour into two 9x5 loaf pans.  Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. KEEP AN EYE on it.  I think I let mine cook about 5 minutes too long.  Still tasted awesome but made for a crunchy crust (of which my husband and son love).  Serve with strawberries and whipped cream.  Or toast in a pan with lots of butter.  Or cover with a citrus simple syrup.  There are many possibilities for this one.  Keep it simple or make it fancy.