Olive oil and lemons: Who would have thought this combination belongs in a cake? High-quality extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has a silky texture and adds a subtle grassy flavor to baked goods. Adding freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest balances the olive oil’s richness in this simple yet elegant cake. These two ingredients have been best friends forever! This simple cake is bright and delicious, but complete when topped with macerated berries.
ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup milk (room temperature)
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup powdered sugar for dusting
Macerated berries: (optional)
- 1 cup mixed berries (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, eggs and sugar.
Add the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Whisk briefly to combine.
Sift together the salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour. Alternating with the milk, add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in a couple of batches. Try not to over-mix at this stage; just combine everything until no clumps of dry flour remain.
Pour batter evenly into the pan.
Bake for 50-55 minutes. The cake should rise and start to turn a bit golden brown on the top.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Then gently remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on a baking rack.
When cool, dust the top with powdered sugar, if desired
tips and tricks:
-
Grease pan well.
-
Don’t skimp on the lemon zest.
-
Don’t over-mix batter once flour is added.
-
Use high-quality EVOO for this cake. It will help intensify the flavor of the cake so the olive oil is noticeable, but not too overpowering.
-
Allow the cake to cool partially in the pan before attempting to release it.
-
Use the right pan: A 6-cup bundt pan has the same volume as a 9x1½- or 8x2-inch round pan.
