by The Webmaster
Makes: 1 cake. Serves: 8 people. Preparation time: 70 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 350° F. Coat the sides and bottom of the Springform Pan with Olive Oil. Cut a sheet of Parchment Paper round to cover the bottom of the Springform Pan. Oil both sides of the Paper. Place the Paper, assemble the Pan and trim the excess. Sprinkle Sugar on the sides and bottom of the Pan. Shake out the excess. Using Powdered Sugar is even better.
In a large bowl, whisk together the Flour, Salt, Almond Flour, Baking Powder and Baking Soda. In another bowl, use an electric mixer (with whisk attachment) to beat together the Sugar, Eggs and Lemon Zest for 5 minutes on high speed. Slowly drizzle in the Olive Oil and beat for another 2 minutes on high. On low, beat in the Milk, Vanilla Extract, Lemon Juice and optional Liquor until well combined. Now gradually add the Flour mixture to the Milk mixture and beat slowly until there are no lumps. Use a spatula to mix in the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the batter into the Pan and smooth off the top with a clean spatula. Sprinkle Sugar on the top. Bake on the middle rack of the 350° oven for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and an inserted wood skewer comes out dry. Remove from oven and place the Pan on a cooling rack for 20+ minutes.
Use a knife to help free the edges. Invert the cake on a clean flat surface and release and remove the Springform. Peel off the Parchment Paper and invert the cake back onto a large serving plate or cake stand for display. Make 8 pieces. Whipped Cream, Fruit or Ice Cream can accompany each slice.
”Olive Oil Cake” - Sounds slippery but the Lemon flavor in this cake hides any hint of the taste of olives. In fact this cake is very tender, impossibly moist and quite flavorful. It can be kept in a air-tight bag or container for days without refrigeration. In fact the ancient Mediterranean inhabitants used Olive Oil instead of Butter for this very reason. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the healthiest of all fats. Today, upscale restaurants often serve Olive Oil Cake (sometimes under a more pleasing name) as a featured premium dessert. Orange, Mango, Pineapple or other flavors can make nice variations. Contrary to cartoon legends, the cake is not named after Popeye's girlfriend. She spelled her name Olive Oyl !
