Hi, I’m Sad Shibow, And I’m Kind Of A Mess. Let’s Have A Good Cry About It Over Some Cake.

BECAUSE I HAVE AN ULCER AND A COLD AND STRESS AND EXISTENTIAL CRISES AND…

How about you?

Yeah, so my feeling is the ulcer realized I was enjoying my pudding and ice cream far too much and decided to royally screw me by throwing a cold my way. Do you know what I like to have when I’m sick? Orange juice. Do you know what I can’t have due to my ulcer? Orange juice. Do you know what’s been calming my aching belly through this ulcer? Dairy products. Guess what I can’t have too much of when I’m sick? Well pudding and ice cream, of course! Do you know what really helps the constant headache that lovingly accompanies the common cold? Aspirin. And I think I can stop there.

Now, I know that FAR worse could have happened. I could have the awful flu strain that has plagued much of the country (Btw, any of you who do have it, I send you so many hugs. The flu is pure hell, and if there is anything I can do to help any of you through it, I will. Seriously, let me know.), and I am very grateful that I do not. I hope to continue to not have it. Please, powers that be, please. I already miss being pain-free. Please do not make me miss being mobile, too.

So, before all of this nonsense occurred, there was cake. Specifically, Christmas cake. Well, actually, there was nothing really Christmas-y about the actual cake, I just felt like waking up to it on Christmas morning, so..you know…Christmas cake!

By the way, three weeks too late, how was everyone’s Christmas? Mine ruled. I got a ukulele! It’s so perfect. I can’t stop talking about it/playing it (Sorry neighbors. But not really sorry, because I’m kind of terrible.) Also, I made the most amazing fritatta. I am so proud of this thing. Want to see?

Ok, maybe I’m the only one who thinks this is amazing. Honestly I’m not feeling too wonderfully about myself these days, so hell, I’ll take what I can get. And if what I can get is a pretty-damn-delicious fritatta and a lemon olive oil cake, I’ll take both. And I’ll have seconds. And thirds. Don’t judge me.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake (makes one 9″ round cake)

4 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 2 lemons

Powdered sugar for serving, optional

Preheat your oven to 350ºF, and butter and flour a 9″ cake pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat together eggs and sugar on high speed, until pale and fluffy. With the mixer still on, pour olive oil and lemon juice into mixture, then turn off mixture and gently fold ingredients together using a rubber spatula.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and zest, then gently fold into batter until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Pour into pan and bake for 45 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter and dust with powdered sugar if you please.

I’m going to be honest with you: when this cake first came out of the oven, I “hmphed” at it and gave it the evil side-eye. It looked a little, well, drab. However, if you let it breathe for a bit (about an hour), you’ll get this:

Need another look? Okay. You’ll also get this:

Want to see again? How’s this:

Um… gorgeous, right? I was pleasantly surprised. Boyfriend was in love with this thing. It really made an already lovely morning even lovelier. And honestly, as SOON as I’m all healed up, I am making this again. It was the perfect morning treat. It’s not terribly sweet or heavy, so you won’t feel disgusting first thing in the morning (at least not because of the cake. Sometimes I wake up a little gross, and eventually get down to acceptable by the end of day). Yum.

Oh, and by the way, I’m at sadshibow.com now! No more having to type in those pesky extra nine letters, fellow lazies! Woo-hoo for being mistress of my own domain!