Name: Anarchy Cake
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups fruit (or 4 ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate), sliced if using peaches, apricots, or plums (neatness does not count); if using cherries, pit them; 3/4 cup of cake or pastry flour (all-purpose flour works in a pinch); 3/4 teaspoon baking powder; Pinch of salt; 1 egg; 1/2 cup superfine sugar, plus an additional 2 tablespoons; 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup milk; 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

I have written about my favorite cake recipe — the Tre, Tre, Tre Cake — for Epicurious. Recently, with a rather empty larder and company coming for dinner, I played around with that recipe and came up with this delicious dessert, which I named Anarchy Cake, because with recipes, as with so many things, Italians are basically anarchists.

Recipe notes

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