Base for tarts and soft cakes: tasty and light!

Base for tarts and cakes: why is evo oil better?

Surely you already know that extra virgin olive oil is a healthy fat, more digestible than butter (and even seed oil, whose fats alter during cooking, going to weigh down the liver), and rich in substances beneficial to our health, including antioxidants, which fight cellular aging, and monounsaturated fats, which help lower cholesterol levels.

Perhaps you don't know, however, that the choice to use it in many desserts is not just out of a concern for our health, but because olive oil makes recipes taste better, as:

• Being liquid, it mixes much better to the doughs, averting the formation of lumps.
• It holds up very well to high temperatures while maintaining taste and fragrance.
• It makes cakes more fragrant, and keeps them soft for longer (cakes made with olive oil dry out less easily).

Preparation tips for the base of tarts and cakes

This recipe is not difficult, but it is important to follow a few small steps for a good and beautiful looking end result.

• To blend well, all ingredients must be at room temperature, so remember to take them out of the refrigerator on time.
• To whip the eggs and sugar, use a electric whisk (which can whip the mixture faster, causing it to take in more air): the mixture will be ready when it has become lighter and fluffier.
• To best incorporate the olive oil into the dough, never pour it too quickly, but "flush."
• To prevent lumps from forming, remember to sift flour and baking powder before adding them to the dough.
• The ideal pan for our soft cake and tart base would be the so-called "cunning pan," that is, the one with the fluted perimeter at the bottom: this way at the end of baking you will get a base with a raised edge, perfect for filling with your favorite creams or jams.