We are currently living through some crazy, uncertain, difficult, and stressful times. I don’t know about you, but in times of uncertainty, I find peace in the ritual of baking. I love the routine of it all, and the fact that some things do remain constant, even when so much else is unknown. We are lucky enough to have an abundance of lemons on our tree right now, so I took the opportunity to pick a bucket full. We use lemons pretty regularly, but even so, had more than we knew what to do with. It had been quite a while since I’d made an olive oil cake, but I do find them to be super comforting, and the perfect thing to nosh on while spending all this extra time at home, so it seemed like the perfect excuse! Plus, fresh citrus (zest & juice!) takes it to a whole other level. Using a top-notch quality olive oil for this as opposed to your typical store-bought variety is of the utmost importance here. I recommend Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Central Coast Family Farm for its crisp, pure olive flavor, which will keep your cake nice and moist. This olive oil cake is also entirely gluten-free, if that’s your thing- I find the hearty flavors and textures of almond flour and polenta complement the dense cake nicely. I also prefer to keep the cake itself not too sweet, as I typically serve it with assorted sweet toppings (like candied lemon peels, lemon marmalade & whipped cream) to balance things out. This baby will stay fresh wrapped in an airtight container at room temperature for several days, but you may also store it in the fridge if you prefer. It’s equally delicious at room temperature with a dollop of honey sweetened greek yogurt for breakfast as it is warmed in the oven and served with ice cream for dessert! You can bake this in a simple 8” cake pan, or use a springform pan for easy release of the sides! Whichever way you go about it, I hope that it brings you joy during this time. Stay safe, y’all!
Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Polenta & Rosemary:
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1 cup coarse ground polenta
1 tsp baking power
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup cane sugar
3 large eggs
4 lemons, zested & juiced
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
powdered sugar, candied lemon peels & fresh rosemary sprigs, for topping
lemon curd & whipped mascarpone, yogurt, or ice cream, for serving
Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease an 8” round cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease the paper as well. In a medium bowl, mix together almond flour, polenta, baking powder, rosemary, and salt, then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey, sugar, eggs, lemon juice & zest, and vanilla/almond extract until smooth. You may alternatively use a stand mixer if desired. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan, making sure it’s level and evenly distributed. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for about 5 minutes, and then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust cake with powdered sugar and top with candied lemon peels and fresh rosemary. Serve with a heaping dollop of lemon curd or marmalade, and maybe some ice cream or whipped mascarpone as well. Enjoy!
*adapted from Orange Polenta Cake from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
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