Baking Brilliance: Olive Oil Cakes & More

5 Ways to Use Olive Oil That Aren't Salad

If the only time you reach for olive oil is when you're making a vinaigrette, you're missing out. Good extra virgin olive oil is one of the most versatile ingredients in your kitchen, and some of the best uses have nothing to do with lettuce.

Here are five of our favorites.

1. Baking

This is the one that surprises people. Olive oil in a cake? Yes, and it's not even a weird health substitution. Italian and Greek bakers have been doing this forever. Olive oil makes baked goods incredibly moist with a tender crumb that butter can't match. The oil adds a subtle fruitiness, especially in citrus-based cakes or cornbread.

Use it as a 1:1 substitute for butter or other oils. A lemon olive oil cake is a great place to start. The bright citrus and the grassy oil complement each other perfectly.

2. Drizzled on Dessert

This sounds weird until you try it. Pour a thin stream of good olive oil over vanilla ice cream or a piece of dark chocolate. The peppery notes of the oil against the sweetness creates something you weren't expecting. It's the same principle as salted caramel, just different.

Start with a small amount. A drizzle, not a pour. Add a pinch of flaky sea salt and you've got one of the simplest, most impressive desserts you can serve.

3. Skin Care

Grandma Angelica used olive oil on her skin long before anyone called it a "beauty hack." She just knew it worked. Extra virgin olive oil is full of antioxidants and healthy fats that help lock in moisture, especially in the dry winter months.

We're not saying throw out your skincare routine. But a thin layer after a shower, or dabbed on dry patches, does more than you'd think. It also works as a gentle makeup remover.

4. Bread Dipping

Sometimes the simplest things are the best. Good bread, good olive oil, a little flaky salt and cracked pepper. That's it. This is honestly the best way to taste what makes one bottle different from another.

If you want to get fancy, add some minced garlic, dried herbs, or a splash of balsamic. But on its own, with good oil, you don't really need anything else.

5. Marinades

Olive oil is the perfect base for marinades because the fat carries flavor deep into whatever you're cooking. Mix it with lemon juice, garlic, and whatever herbs you have around. Use it on chicken, fish, vegetables, pork. Let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour for fish, a few hours for meat.

The difference between marinating with a quality oil versus a cheap one is noticeable. The flavor is cleaner and the food tastes like it was cooked by someone who knows what they're doing.

Try one of these this week. You might be surprised at how much mileage you get out of a single bottle.

Salud!