Similar to pound cake, olive oil cake is a dense cake that is soaked in olive oil. Although the cake is rich and soft, the crumb is tight and dense. Use premium extra-virgin olive oil since it provides the majority of the cake's flavour. Depending on your desire, bake the cake in a bundt pan, loaf pan, springform pan, or round cake pan. Olive oil cake comes in a variety of textures, from flat and bread-like to moist and fluffy, like the well-known Italian kind.
The flavour of olive oil cake is similar to that of a delicious vanilla cake with a fruity, earthy undertone. Similar to how buttermilk gives cakes a tangy flavour and soft texture, olive oil gives food a moist texture without a strong flavour. Because they go well with olive oil, fresh berries, lemon zest, and orange zest are frequently used in olive oil cakes. As a sophisticated dessert during a dinner party, serve olive oil cake.
Here’s how you can make this yummy dessert:
Ingredients:
• 150 g white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon orange flower water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 165g cake flour
• 1 large egg
• 150 g extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 110 g low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Fresh fruit (optional garnish)
• Powdered sugar (optional garnish)
• Toasted nuts (optional garnish)
Method:
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) with the lower-middle rack set. Use parchment paper and pan spray to lightly oil an 8 by 3-inch anodized aluminium cake pan.
• For about a minute, combine salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Be patient and whisk the dry ingredients for longer than it appears necessary at this point because it won't actually be homogenous at this time. At this stage, undermixing could cause the cake to have dark spots or an uneven texture.
• Whisk constantly until the batter seems smooth and thoroughly emulsified. Add the buttermilk, egg, orange blossom water, olive oil, and lemon zest. Only stir the cake flour in until it is completely integrated. Scrape into the pan you just prepared. The cake should be hard but still enable your finger to make a mark on the light crust after 33 minutes of baking.
• Before using a butter knife to loosen the edges, the cake has to cool in the pan for approximately 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, place it on a serving dish, and then take off the parchment paper.
• Serve warm or at room temperature with a dusting of powdered sugar and any other toppings you choose, such as fresh fruit, nuts, or other garnishes.