Lemon Olive Oil Cake - the Anytime Cake.
It's taken me longer than I care to admit to completely warm up to olive oil. A staple of Mediterranean culture, its virtues have been extolled since ancient times. But let me introduce you to what may be its most virtuous creation yet: Olive Oil Cake. It also happens to be gluten free and dairy free!
Dare I say, this cake manages to do it all. It is oh-so-simple yet feels elevated and refined. The batter comes together in one bowl and uses primarily pantry ingredients. However, the few ingredients play beautifully off on another, creating a cake that is simultaneously simple and intriguingly complex. Is this my current cake obsession? Perhaps.
As olive oil remains liquid at room temperature, the resulting crumb of this cake remains lighter than that of its butter counterparts. A slight pepperiness of the olive oil pairs wonderfully with the citrus zing and nutty almond flour. These flavors mingle with your fruit of choice, their juices oozing into and moistening the center of the cake. You can use fresh fruit, frozen fruit, and fruit that has been pre-cooked down. Recently, I used cooked-down rhubarb and it was a delightful edition.
Olive oil cake basking in the morning sun. A lovely treat with coffee!
Armed with little more than long summer days, far-flung mediterranean dreams, and a 2-liter Kirkland Signature bottle of the Good Stuff, I present to you this simple olive oil cake.
This recipe is meant to be adaptable. It should be leisurely whipped up on a weekend afternoon, to be enjoyed anytime, night or day, throughout the rest of the week. Employ whatever fruit lies at your disposal—or forgo it entirely! Either way, this cake will be delightful. It's simple enough to pair well alongside other foods, although I love to snack on it all on its own. In essence, you can enjoy this every-which-way. Bon appétit!
A note on the ingredients:
Olive Oil: the star of the show, I recommend you use a good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and one whose taste you really enjoy. If you aren’t particularly drawn to varieties with a punchy pepperiness, use one with more mellow notes. I enjoy the Graza “Sizzle” bottle, California Olive Ranch Everyday, or the Costco Kirkland Signature.
Gluten Free flour: I chose to make this recipe gluten free so that anyone in my family can enjoy it, but if you do eat gluten, you can absolutely use regular all purpose flour! In terms of gluten free flours, my favorite 1 to 1 blends are King Arthur Baking and Bob’s Red Mill.
Sugar and honey: I opt for mainly white granulated sugar, as opposed to brown sugar, so as not to compete with the other flavors. However, I do add a bit of honey, because I think it's sweet notes play nicely with the citrus and olive oil. Feel free to play with the ratios to suit your fancy!
Almond flour: I use blanched almond flour for this recipe, which has a more neutral taste and texture. However, if you would like nuttier notes, you can try unblanched almond flour! It will likely yield a slightly darker cake.
Citrus: I use lemon zest and juice, although I know it would work really well to use oranges. I imagine other citrus could also be dynamic and delicious, so go ahead and experiment!
Extracts: I always enjoy adding vanilla extract to baked goods, and I add lemon extract to amp-up the citrus flavor. It’s not necessary. I also imagine almond extract would go well with this recipe.
Lemon Olive Oil Cake Recipe
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Lemon Olive Oil Cake Recipe 〰️
Ingredients:
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon honey, or equal amount sugar
¾ cup olive oil
Zest of one lemon, or another citrus
2 tablespoons lemon or citrus juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
1 cup + 2 tablespoons gluten free all purpose 1:1 flour
½ cup almond flour
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1.5 cup fruit; fresh, frozen, or compoted (optional)
Powdered sugar, for dusting over top
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch springform pan, and line with parchment. I like the character of crinkled edges, but if you prefer a neater cake, you can trim the parchment to fit.
In a medium bowl, add the sugar, honey and eggs. Beat together until the mixture is a pale yellow and frothy. You can use a stand mixer, hand mixer, or just a whisk. I prefer 1 to 2 minutes of all out effort. Medium speed for the two former options would be suitable.
Add the olive into the mixture, pouring in slowly and whisking as you go to help emulsify the liquids. Add the citrus zest, juice, and vanilla and/or lemon extracts.
Add the flours, baking powder, and salt to another bowl and mix until they are well combined. Gently fold the dry into the wet, and mix until just combined.
Pour the mixture into the lined pan. Take your fruit and place overtop the batter. You may want to use a silicone spatula to distribute the fruit over the surface. At this point, I like to spring some more granulated sugar over the fruit.
Bake at 350 F for 45-55 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out just clean. If you want, sift a little powdered sugar over top. It makes it appear all the more delecteable.