This recipe is recommended for the beginning cook.

Faith Willinger improvised this unusual cake when she had a rather empty larder and company coming for dinner. It was immediately christened Anarchy Cake because, she writes, "With recipes, as with so many things, Italians are basically anarchists." You might think the anarchy is in putting salad dressing ingredients-olive oil and balsamic vinegar-in the cake, but it goes beyond that. The idea is that you act like an Italian, which is to say you pretty much do whatever you want and it will still come out beautifully-the sign of a really good recipe.

What we love about it is that it doesn't require any fancy ingredients, and you can add just about any fruit (or even chunks of chocolate) that you happened to have on hand. To see how far you can take it, read what one cook wrote in the website (see note). We've found that when you use fruit, the cake comes out like a cross between a torte and a cobbler. With chocolate bits, it's a bit like a large, fluffy chocolate chip cookie. Either way, it's a tender low-profile cake that's golden brown, delicately cakey, a little crisp on the outside, and not too sweet. It's a great emergency dessert that also works for tea time.

Serves 6 to 8

1 1/2 cups fruit, sliced if using peaches, apricots, or plums (neatness does not count); if using cherries, pit them; or 4 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup plus an additional 1 or 2 tablespoons superfine sugar

3/4 cup cake flour or pastry flour (all-purpose flour works in a pinch)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper, brush with oil, and lightly flour.

In a medium bowl, gently toss the fruit with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and set aside. (If using chocolate, do not toss it with the sugar, just set aside until needed.) In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg with the 1/2 cup sugar and the lemon zest, until light, fluffy, and pale in color. This could take as long as 5 minutes. Add the oil, then the milk and balsamic vinegar, beating until fully combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and drop the fruit or chocolate over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake for 50 minutes, or until the top is a beautiful golden brown and a knife blade inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cook's notes:

The cake is best eaten the day it is made.

A cook from Seattle posted this message on the Epicurious site: "This cake/torte totally exceeded my expectations. I used several fruits and much more than called for (true to the anachist form) . . . I used cake flour and stuck to the rest of the recipe. It came out beautifully Italian-looking, and delicious. Not too sweet but very flavorful, with the cake bubbling up around the fruit, which gives it a tortelike look. I'll make this again and again. Powdered sugar on top makes this little baby party-worthy, for sure."

More Recipes