This was my first time attempting to bake an olive oil cake, which my husband shared with me, and it won’t be my last time. I followed the New York Times Recipe posted below, but added 2 teaspoon vanilla extract which I read about in the Bon Appetite recipe. I also used two 9″ pans rather than one, because the comments section of the recipe noted that one 9″ pan was too small. I like how the stacked effect looks anyway. Another twist I took with this cake is that I prepared a lemon cream cheese frosting, and added a few drops of red food coloring in order to make it a light pink color. I decorated it with colorful sprinkles and fresh strawberries. The cake would be excellent with very little icing or topping at all, but since it’s for my birthday I opted to be fancy. In the future I will try different variations of this simple cake recipe.
Recipe is re-posted from the New York Times
“This simple, lemon-scented olive oil cake is an elegant treat all by itself or topped with whipped cream, fruit or ice cream. The olive oil contributes a pleasant fruity flavor while keeping the cake moister for longer than butter ever could. Make sure your olive oil tastes delicious and fresh. If you wouldn’t eat it on a salad, it won’t be good in your cake.” – The New York Times
Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, plus about 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk, at room temperature
Lemon Icing Ingredients
(Icing Recipe, I used the one from my favorite banana cake recipe )
- 8oz Cream Cheese
- 1/3 Cup Softened Butter
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 tsp Lemon Zest from a Lemon
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan using extra-virgin olive oil and line the bottom with parchment paper. Oil the parchment and flour the pan, shaking out any excess flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer set on high, beat the sugar, eggs and lemon zest until very thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer still running, slowly drizzle in the oil and beat until incorporated, another 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add milk and lemon juice. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smooth the top using an offset spatula and sprinkle the top with about 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Bake the cake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to release the sides of the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate and then flip it back over onto the rack to cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
