I've been a bit behind on my blog this past week, but it's been a crazy few days. It's only about to get busier with more meetings and interviews for potential jobs - wish me luck! Back to the blog...I finally got around to trying a lemon olive oil cake. This cake has gained popularity over the recent years as a wonderfully moist cake great for brunch or dessert. I had no doubt that it would be moist as I have used olive instead of butter for cakes, but just how much of that olive oil can you taste? I was about to find out...

Lemon olive oil cake

1 hr, 30 Total Time

Yields one 9-inch cake pan

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Ingredients

Candied lemon slices
• 1 small lemon
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ⅓ cup water
Lemon olive oil cake
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ tbsp grated lemon zest
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Prepare the candied lemon slices. Slice the lemon into ⅛ inch- thick rounds, discarding any seeds. Combine the sugar, lemon juice and water in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Add the lemon slices in one layer and simmer, turning the lemon slices occasionally. Cook until the lemon rinds soften about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the slices onto a parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray. Let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
3. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, buttermilk, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on the wire rack.
4. Garnish cake with lemon slices and serve.

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**Helpful tips and common mistakes

The first time I saw a lemon olive oil cake featured as the main dessert at a bakery on the Food Network, I knew I wanted to give it a try. I haven't seen any olive oil cakes at a local bakery, so I did the next best thing and decided to make my own.

When preparing this cake, make sure to use extra virgin olive oil and olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is made from pure, cold-pressed olives, which means more flavor in the cake. Regular olive oil has a more neutral flavor since it has been refined to remove impurities.

I love how easily this cake comes together. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet in another, and combine it all together. Pour into a prepared cake pan and bake.

To make a little something extra, I garnished the cake with candied lemon slices. To make the candied lemon, simply simmer sugar with water and a touch of lemon juice with the lemon slices. Keep the flames on low as the lemons soften in the sugar water. Once the rind softens, the lemon is ready.

The cake was just as delicious as I had expected with a subtle hint of lemon. The olive oil was the key factor in the moistness of the cake, without leaving a strong taste of the olive oil in your mouth. I also loved the candied lemon slices, adding just a little bit of tart with an extra sweet bite. Use Meyer lemons when they are available or change up the citrus fruit (grapefruit anyone?) to make this cake your own!

Looking for someone to come to your house and prepare these dishes for you? It is possible! If you are in Los Angeles and looking for a private chef, please feel free to contact me. For more information, visit Private Kitchen Los Angeles.