Two twists on a classic olive oil cake make this recipe something special. First, blitzing fresh rosemary and granulated sugar together in a blender creates a deeply fragrant green-tinted mixture that imbues the cake with pine-y, woodsy flavor. Secondly, spiking a simple caramel sauce with blood orange juice adds brightness and color that enhances every bite. Feel free to use the juice from navel or Valencia oranges if you can’t find blood oranges.
This cake’s tender crumb wants to soak up all the caramel drizzle, so wait to pour it over the top until right before serving. Letting the excess pool around the edges of the cake (use a platter with a lip to keep the sauce from spilling over!) and spooning any leftovers on individually plated slices is the move.