Olive oil and lemon zest cake
Fruity olive oil combines with an almond, polenta and yoghurt crumb to produce a light, fluffy cake with a kick of lemon zest
SERVES
8
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
10
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
40
MINUTES
Ingredients
75ml rich olive oil
175g self-raising flour
1½ tsp baking powder
50g freshly ground almonds
50g fine polenta
zest of 6 lemons
130g caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
225g natural yoghurt plus 1 tbsp extra for the icing
50g butter, softened
210g icing sugar
4 tbsp lemon curd
Method
Grease an eight-inch spring form or loose base tin and preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and polenta in a large bowl and mix.
Stir in the zest of three lemons and the caster sugar. Make a well in the centre.
Mix the eggs, yoghurt and oil and gently stir them into the centre of the dry ingredients. Bring everything together without over-mixing.
Scoop the mixture into the tin and bake for 40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
In the meantime, beat the butter, icing sugar and natural yoghurt until smooth. Add the rest of the lemon zest.
Take the cake from the oven and let it cool briefly in the tin. While it is still warm remove it and set it on a wire rack. Spread the lemon curd on top and allow it to soak into the cake.
Once it has completely cooled, smooth on the icing.
