Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Lemon Olive Oil Cake comes to Peetz, via Ottawa-based Pastry Chef Elina Olefirenko, and her freelance company Elina Patisserie. Elina creates delectable desserts for clients from small bakeries to restaurants and even hotels.
This cake, made with Peetz S.M.A.R.T Blend is light and fluffy. Based on olive oil cakes made in Italy, Spain and Greece, the olive oil makes it very moist.
We love the addition of lemon for a sublime citrus taste
Be sure to read the Pastry Chef tips below on how to successfully bake this cake
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mild olive oil, plus extra for the pan
- 5 eggs separated
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 3 teaspoons lemon zest chopped fine
- 1 cup S.M.A.R.T Blend
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- Brush the sides of the pan with a bit of olive oil.
- In a large bowl, whip egg yolks and ½ cup of sugar.
- Continue to whip, until pale yellow and doubled in volume.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together, olive oil, lemon juice and zest.
- Add whipped yolks and gently mix with rubber spatula.
- Whip egg whites with ¼ cup of sugar to make a soft peeked meringue.
- Fold meringue into egg yolk mixture, using a rubber spatula.
- Sift in S.M.A.R.T Blend flour. Gently fold in using a rubber spatula.
- Pour batter into the cake pan.
- Bake at 350F for 35-40 minute, until toothpick inserted in the comes out clean.
How can I tell if the olive oil I have in my kitchen is mild enough to use in this cake?
Just give it a taste!
Think about olive oil as being just like a fine wine. Pour a couple teaspoons into a wine glass. Swirl the glass in your hand. Inhale the fragrance and then taste.
From there, you will be able to decide.
We tend to enjoy Olivo Real Olive Oil , an olive oil carried by Pepe’s Market, right here in Ottawa. Owner Isidro, imports this olive oil from southern Spain, where his family has been growing olive trees for decades.
Olivo Real Late Harvest Picual Extra Virgin oil is cold-pressed, and bottled in the family mill. Delicate and delicious!
Now, you are ready to bake this cake. Let us know how you like it!
How can I make sure to whip my egg whites to maximum volume?
Good question! This cake does rely on the air in the egg whites to keep it fluffy.
Start with a large bowl, to ensure egg whites have room to expand.
When separating eggs, make sure there are no yolks left behind. The fat in the egg yolks will prevent whites from rising to full capacity. Ditto for beaters, bowls, and whisk attachments which need to be scrupulously clean. No bits and flecks of grease or food crumbs. That will only downplay the glorious rise of egg whites!
Also, the whites need to be at room temperature before whipping.
Once the whipping begins, eggs will become foamy and start to bubble. At this stage you can add a bit of cream of tarter. This helps to stabilize the eggs.
If you do not have cream of tartar in your cupboards, reach for salt. This will do the same trick.
After this point, add the sugar, in a long steady stream, while whipping on high speed. Once peaks form and the meringue is shiny, turn off the machine.
Voila! A light, fluffy meringue.