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“I try to avoid dairy, so I was happy to see an olive oil cake on the dessert menu at Kaneo. It was so good,
and I would love it if they would share the recipe.” — Tony Blue, Greenville, SC
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 3 large lemons
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Lemon sorbet or ice cream, powdered sugar, for serving
- For the lemon soak:
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan; line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar until fragrant.
- Add eggs to the sugar mixture and whisk until pale and fluffy.
- With the whisk running, slowly pour in the olive oil, then add milk, lemon juice and vanilla, whisking until just combined.
- Fold in the dry ingredients gently, mixing only until no streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back lightly.
- For the lemon soak:
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine lemon juice and sugar until dissolved (do not boil).
- When cake emerges from oven, poke holes across the surface with a skewer, then slowly pour the warm lemon soak over the cake while it’s still in the pan. Allow it to absorb.
- Let the cake cool completely before removing from pan.
- Serve plain with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and with a side of sorbet or ice cream.
