Meskouta; soft and fluffy cake scented with seasonal oranges and Mediterranean extra virgin olive oil.
Morocco. Vibrant, colourful, delicious. This North African nation is famed for its tea culture, its breathtaking desert, and its beautiful cities. It’s seen more peoples and populations than many other places on our planet, with modern day Morocco still showing native Berber influence, Arab influence, and early European influence.
Its cuisine is one that could hook me in forever and I’d happily accept. This country appears to have mastered the use of meat, vegetables, fruit, grains, herbs, and spices. It’s not often a single place can do all of that. It has taken, it has given, and it’s been well-fed the whole time.
The dessert we’re digging into today is a proud piece of Moroccan heritage. Let’s talk about Meskouta.
Prefer a recipe video? You can watch me make Meskouta on my YouTube channel here!
From what I understand (as an almost entirely uncultured foreigner), Meskouta is one of those cakes that exists in just about every family. You’ll find all kinds of variations of this dessert, but it still seems to unite people over the simple pleasure of a slice of cake. My favourite flavour of unity.
Meskouta is a simple, soft, fluffy cake served on special occasions or just as a snack with tea. This cake appears to be baked either in a loaf tin or round Bundt-style tin, and is most often scented with sweet African vanilla, or heady Mediterranean citrus fruits. The version you see before you today makes use of some stunning Sicilian oranges that have conveniently come into season this month. However, it would be just as delicious with winter lemons or a few drops of vanilla extract instead.
Similarly, you’ll see some variations of Meskouta made with yoghurt (also cleverly measuring the other ingredients with the empty yoghurt pot) while others use orange or lemon juice. As I opted for the flavour of orange zest, putting the juice to good use only seemed right too.
This cake is deceptively delicious. It appears relatively plain, but will undoubtedly have you returning for a second slice. It’s soft, light, moist, and harbours that perfect blend of sweet and subtle at the same time. You can enjoy it as an easygoing dessert, joyful little snack, or even a fancy breakfast.
With just a few ingredients and an hour of your day, you’ll have this marvellous Meskouta on the table. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!
Want to save this Meskouta recipe for later? You can pin the image below!
To make this Moroccan Meskouta, simply follow the recipe below:
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 225g (1 cup) granulated or caster sugar
- 120ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil, or plain vegetable oil
- 250g (2 cups) plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Zest of 2 oranges
- Pinch of salt
- 120ml (½ cup) freshly-squeezed orange juice (from 1-2 oranges)
- Icing sugar, to decorate (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven – 180 C / 160 C fan / 350 F / gas mark 4.
- Grease and line a 10cm x 30cm (4 in x 12 in) loaf tin with some olive oil and greaseproof paper.
- Using an electric or regular whisk, beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until noticeably paler and thicker. This should only take 2-3 minutes.
- Continue whisking as you slowly pour in the oil until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, orange zest, and salt.
- Tip these dry ingredients into the egg and sugar mixture, along with the orange juice, and whisk gently until everything is just combined.
- Pour the cake mixture into your prepared tin.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes. It should be golden, risen, and a skewer or knife inserted into the centre should be cleanly removed when ready.
- Allow to cool completely in the tin before dusting with icing sugar (if using) to serve and slice.
- Enjoy!
BE A MAVERICK: why not try this recipe with lemon zest and lemon juice instead?
This Meskouta will keep well in an airtight container for up to 4 days but is best enjoyed fresh!
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