1. Wash the oranges, then cut them THIN. In a saucepan on medium heat, combine 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water and 2 crushed cardamom pods. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat to medium low, add the sliced oranges to the saucepan and let them simmer for 15 minutes.
2. While the orange slices are simmering, preheat the oven at 350F. Beat 2 eggs, 2/3 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt using a whisk or an electric mixer, until the mixture becomes pale, light and fluffy. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in the egg mixture, while constantly mixing everything together. Add the vanilla extract, orange zest, orange juice, cardamom, and baking soda to the mixture mix them in using a spatula.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the baking powder and flour together. Sift them in the egg mixture, then gently fold the dry ingredients using a spatula. Brush a cake pan with oil, then line it with parchment paper. Next, arrange all the syrupy orange slices on the bottom of the pan. Gently pour the cake batter in the pan, over the orange slices, then pop it in the oven. Bake the cake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Allow the cake to cool off for at least 10 minutes before taking it out of the pan. Brush some of the remaining orange cardamom syrup on top of the cake. Enjoy!
