My father was literally the dark, handsome, silent type. A man of deeds, not words. Every morning, he would leave the house early. But before leaving, he would bring my mother a tray of toast in bed and three tall glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice for her, my brother Rafi and me. 

In the summers, our Sydney home was filled with the intoxicating perfume of ripe peaches, perfect green Thompson grapes and the intense tropical scent of sweet, juicy mangoes. (Those same Australian mangoes are selling right now at Gelson’s in Century City for $10.99 each. And they’re worth it!)

In the winter, my father had to be content with boxes of apples and oranges. He always took the greatest pleasure in buying boxes of fruit and vegetables from the wholesale produce market. It was a throwback to life in Baghdad where the women stayed in the home and the men shopped for food in the souk. His other great pleasure was growing fruits and veggies in his garden. 

One of my favorite memories of my father is of him dressed in a smart white shirt and dress pants, standing on the roof of the shed in my backyard, harvesting tangerines from the tallest branches of our tree. 

I always feel so incredibly blessed because my home has so many fruit trees. The citrus trees include tangerine, orange, lemon and kumquats. Our front yard is overshadowed by a large tree that produces mutant citrus fruit with thick skin like a pomelo and dry in edible flesh. I also have a loquat tree, a pomegranate tree and a passionfruit vine that my father planted for me. 

This Orange Blossom Olive Oil Cake is an easy one-bowl recipe. This moist, tender cake perfectly balances fresh orange essence with the earthy notes of extra virgin olive oil. The soft, slightly dense, crumb contrasts perfectly with cream cheese frosting. (We used Toffutti cream cheese, powdered sugar and fresh lemon zest to keep it non-dairy.)

The happiest part for me was decorating the cake with delicate sprigs of thyme and bright citrus from my garden. 

—Sharon 

Orange Cake is always a favorite of the Moroccan kitchen. (I mean I literally put orange zest in all my baked goods!) And this cake is especially lovely because of the olive oil. Just perfect for dessert on Shabbat, served with a steaming cup of fresh mint nana tea. 

—Rachel

Orange Olive Oil Cake 

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup plain almond milk 

1 1/3 cups extra-virgin olive oil 

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup Grand Marnier or triple sec 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

Zest of 1 orange

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda  

Preheat the oven to 350°F and set the rack in the center of the oven. 

Line the bottom of an oiled 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs and sugar and beat until a creamy yellow. 

Add the almond milk, olive oil, orange juice, liqueur, vanilla and orange zest, then beat until combined. 

Add the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and whisk gently until combined, taking care not to overmix the batter.

Pour the batter into the pan, then tap the pan on the counter to rid the batter of any air bubbles. 

Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool completely. Frost the cake with a favorite frosting or sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

If desired, garnish with slices of pink grapefruit, blood orange, tangerine and kumquats and sprigs of fresh thyme.

Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Follow them
on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food. Website sephardicspicegirls.com/full-recipes.