Citrus Olive Oil Cake
spring snacking cake.....or anytime you want a "not too sweet" treat
Hello Foodie Friends!! Welcome back to another newsletter! Jane and I are so thrilled you’re here!!
While you’re reading this, I’ll be flying across the country from Boston (can’t wait to fill you in on all my favorite spots to eat!!) back home to Seattle and will definitely be dreaming of this impossibly tender, moist (so not a fan of that word, but it’s such an accurate description of this cake!) olive oil cake.
A few years ago we were having friends over for dinner, and I was wracking my brain and flipping through my cookbooks, trying to figure out what to make for dessert.
I knew I wanted something not too sweet, super easy to whip up and citrusy. I found a few recipes for olive oil cake, did some tweaking and…..as they say in France….voila….this citrus olive oil cake recipe was born!
After testing this recipe multiple times over the years, I’ve got a few tips for you!
Olive Oil — it’s important to use a mild olive oil for this recipe. The oil keeps the cake most and tender, with the faintest grassy background flavor. A strong olive oil, one that’s spicy or assertive, will absolutely take over the flavor. A mild olive oil lets all the flavors meld, especially the lemon.
I love California Olive Oil and Brightland, but I find both are better in savory dishes because of their strong flavor. For mild olive oils, I love the flavor of Kirkland brand Italian olive oil (plus, because you’re using a full cup, Costco is budget friendly).
Whole Milk — I’m a big believer in using whole milk when it comes to baking. It adds a richer, fuller flavor and the extra fat will help keep the cake from drying out.
Lemon - Adding lemon zest AND lemon juice really punches up the lemon flavor. Feel free to add another tablespoon of lemon zest if you want more lemon flavor.
Toppings - This cake is equally delicious served all by itself, or with some lightly whipped cream and fresh berries. If you have time, the sweet strawberries and honey ricotta take the cake to the next level and make it perfect for a special occasion.
Until next Friday!! Happy Cooking, foodie friends!
xo
Lisa & Jane
Citrus Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Sweet Strawberries
1/4 cup honey
2 earl grey tea bags
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
Honey Ricotta
2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons honey
zest and juice of 1 Meyer (or regular) lemon
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with olive oil and line with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 1 cup sugar, the eggs, and lemon zest until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. I know this seems like a long time, but it's really important to beat the full 5 minutes, because this creates lightness and airiness in your cake.
With the mixer still running, slowly drizzle in the oil and beat until combined, 2 minutes.
Reduce speed to low. Add milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Then add the flour, baking powder, and salt, beating until just combined. Don't over beat the mixture!! You want to the batter to just come together. Over beating will undo all the work you did in the first step. If you over beat you risk getting a dense brick like cake, instead of a light cake.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Lightly bang it against the counter to get rid of any air pockets and make it nice and even.
Sprinkle the top of the batter with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
Transfer to the oven and bake 40-45 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. My oven cooks very fast and the cake was done closer to 20 minutes. I highly recommend setting your timer for half the time. Check and add more time in 5 minute increments to avoid possibly over baking.
Transfer to a rack to cool for 15-20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert the cake onto a plate, flip it back over onto a serving plate. Let cool.
MAKE THE STRAWBERRIES
Bring the honey to a low boil in a small saucepan, simmer 1 minute and remove from the heat. Add the tea bags, cover and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and put the saucepan back on the stove to melt the honey. Add the strawberries, toss to coat and cook over very low heat for about 5 minutes.
MAKE THE HONEY RICOTTA
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the ricotta and honey.
Pulse until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the honey and lemon juice, pulse to combine. Stir in the lemon zest. Taste, adding more honey if you like it a bit sweeter.
Store in an airtight container in fridge for up to one week.
Serve the cake dolloped with whipped ricotta and spoon the strawberries overtop.
If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, the cake should keep at room temperature for a week.
Keep the strawberries and ricotta in separate airtight containers in your fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Looking for substitutions? Instead of strawberries, use raspberries or blueberries Instead of ricotta, use mascarpone No time to make the whipped ricotta? Spoon a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or mascarpone on top of the cake.