Lemon Olive Oil Cake
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A friend of mine recently returned from Italy and as a way of thanking me for the grueling, exhausting task of picking up her mail a few times (oh, and watering her basil & rosemary plants once or twice- which The Husband did, anyway), gave me a gallon of lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil (and a cute oven mitt from Positano, no less). Who travels back home from overseas with heavy tins of olive oil, just to thank someone for doing something so menial? Monica does! (By the way- I used some of the herbs in the Cream Cheese Cheddar Herb Biscuits recipe which you might want to check out. Thanks again, Monica.)
So as soon as the olive oil was passed over I knew what was going to happen with it. Yes, it has been used for a few salad dressings… whisked together with white wine vinegar, dijon, salt & pepper, tasting wonderfully almost like a caesar dressing without all the hard work. But that’s not what I had in mind. I had cake in mind. As I am programmed to do.
I have been stumbling over olive oil cake recipes for almost ever, and have always wondered: olive oil, in a cake? I am a fan of butter, through and through, but also know that oil plays a major role in many killer cakes (like the Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting– chock full ‘o veggie oil, and I wouldn’t change it for the world). If canola oil or vegetable oil can elevate a cake to 5-star status, why not olive oil? So after making this rustic, moist, hint-of-lemon recipe, I am sold, sold, sold. (Um, Monica? When will you be returning to Italy again?)
Adapted from epicurious’s recipe…
1 cup cake/pastry flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
5 eggs, separated (you will use 5 yolks and 4 whites)
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (in 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup, and 1 1/2 tablespoon portions)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for greasing pan (lemon-infused, if possible)
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9″ springform pan with some oil, then line bottom with a round of parchment paper (if you happen to have), and then oil the parchment.
- In a small bowl, whisk lemon zest together with flour and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together 5 yolks and 1/2 cup sugar at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil (3/4 cup) and reserved lemon juice, beating until just combined (mixture may appear separated). Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture (do not beat) until just combined.
- In a separate large bowl, beat 4 egg whites with 1/2 teaspoon salt at medium-high speed until foamy, then add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until egg whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes.
- Gently fold one third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
- Pour batter into prepared springform pan and gently rap against work surface once or twice to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side of pan. Cool cake to room temperature, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove bottom of pan and peel off parchment, then transfer cake to a serving plate if you want it to look fancy.
Tips:
- This cake is meant to look rustic, so don’t fret when the top gets a bit crumbly looking.
- Olive oil choices are ‘a plenty. I prefer extra-virgin (instead of regular olive oil) because the taste is a litle more subdued, but regular olive oil will work just fine. You’ll likely not have lemon-infused oil from a friend fresh off a flight from Rome, so up the lemon zest in the recipe if you really want to take the lemon theme up a notch (double it… why not?!).
- No springform pan? I’m sorry about that. Go ahead and use a regular cake pan. And if you don’t have a circle of parchment paper, your life won’t end either- but the cake will stick a bit to the bottom of your cake pan. So serve it out of the pan, right? No one says you have to transfer it to any place other than right into your mouth.
- Garnishes? What a nice idea. Maybe just a sprinkling of icing sugar? Maybe a bit of whipped cream or ice cream? Maybe some lemon sorbetto? Fruit would totally work, too.
- Moist is how you can describe this heavenly cake. It will taste amazing on day 2 and 3 as well, and it freezes nicely (if you’re so inclined to muster up the discipline to save any).
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13 Responses and Counting...
I’m super excited to try this, I was wondering if you have ever tried doing this cake with AP flour and if so what are the drawbacks?
Also curious – how might a cake like this do in greased in a muffin tin?
Hello! Okay- all-purpose flour can totally work. It might be a bit more dense, but that’s okay. Use 2 tablespoons less in the recipe. As for the muffin tins, just don’t fill past half-full- the cakes will rise, but won’t look at all like muffins. Just like mini, scrumptious cakes. Let me know how it turns out!
This recipe is truly delicious and pretty easy to make. Thank you!
Hi Alice- SO glad you liked… hope it turned out well for you! Next time I might make a simple lemon glaze to go over the cake (with lemon juice & confectioners’ sugar). Poured over every slice. Liberally. You get the idea :).
BuzzFeed Food brought me here! :D
Woo hoo! Let me know how the cake turns out for you… bake away!
I’ve just gone gluten free. Have you, or anyone you know tried it with a gluten free flour?
Hi Cynthia- great question. I have not tried a GF version, but suspect that a good quality all-purpose GF flour blend would work pretty well- it just might be a bit dense. You take the plunge and let me know how it turns out, okay?!?!
made the cake and it´s in the oven as i right this. i made it with all purpouse flour and added a bit of basil! i hope it turns out tasty and beautiful
Hi Laura,
Basil- what an amazing idea. I will do that next time… and maybe a bit of rosemary?!?!
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Buzzfeed also brought me here. Just tried the recipe and it’s delicious! My mixer was not very good, so I couldn’t make a good foamy whites, but it turned out a good cake anyway.
Thanks and cheers from Brazil!
Yay to Brazil! SO glad it worked out for you!