Agree to bring the dessert to your next holiday gathering? Break out the olive oil! Your guests won't believe you baked a dessert without butter or canola.
Olive oil lends a surprising moistness to cakes, and this one comes out beautifully, without being too rich or overly sweet. But be sure to use extra virgin - don't believe those myths that say it's better to cook with 'pure' olive oil, which is just another refined oil. Stick to the good stuff. Always.
What you'll need:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour (usually found in the natural foods section at your grocer)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I like it a little less sweet and only use 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Grated zest of either 1 lemon, or half an orange - or mix 'em up!
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a round 9-inch cake pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and sea salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then add the sugar and whisk for about 30 seconds. Next, add the olive oil to the egg mixture and whisk until slightly thickened. Last, whisk in the vanilla and almond extracts along with the orange juice. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until you have a smooth batter, then pour into the greased pan and bake for 30 - 45 minutes. Test the cake by inserting a toothpick into the middle to see that it comes out clean.
After you pull the cake out of the oven, let it cool in the pan for about ten minutes and prepare the glaze in the meantime.
For the glaze you will need:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 - 1 cup confectioner's sugar (depending on how much glaze you like on your cake)
3 tablespoons milk (I usually just add it until my desired thickness)
fresh lemon juice to taste (I like mine lemony and use about a teaspoon)
1/4 cup sliced, blanched almonds, toasted
First, toast the almonds on a baking sheet under the broiler until slightly browned. Set aside to cool. Next, melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan, swirly occasionally, until the butter turns a slight brown color and begins to smell a little nutty. While the butter cools, sift the confectioners sugar into a medium bowl, then whisk in the milk, and then slowly add the butter, whisking until combined. Next, add a few drops of fresh lemon juice to your desired taste, then stir in the toasted almonds. Carefully spread the glaze over the top of the cake with a spatula until it begins to drip slightly down the sides. Let the cake sit until the glaze is dry and then it's ready to serve.
Being that this is a slightly more dense cake, it can be served in smaller slices to a larger, hungry crowd. I also find that it freezes very well, and only takes a few short minutes at room temperature before it's ready to eat.
