Olive oil and lemon zest cake

Recipe by:

Fruity olive oil combines with an almond, polenta and yoghurt crumb to produce a light, fluffy cake with a kick of lemon zest

Olive oil and lemon zest cake

SERVES

8

PEOPLE

PREP TIME

10

MINUTES

COOKING TIME

40

MINUTES

CUISINE

COURSE

Baking

Method

  1. Grease an eight-inch spring form or loose base tin and preheat the oven to 180°C.

  2. Place the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and polenta in a large bowl and mix.

  3. Stir in the zest of three lemons and the caster sugar. Make a well in the centre.

  4. Mix the eggs, yoghurt and oil and gently stir them into the centre of the dry ingredients. Bring everything together without over-mixing.

  5. Scoop the mixture into the tin and bake for 40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

  6. In the meantime, beat the butter, icing sugar and natural yoghurt until smooth. Add the rest of the lemon zest.

  7. 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.

  8. Once it has completely cooled, smooth on the icing.

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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

  1. Grease an eight-inch spring form or loose base tin and preheat the oven to 180°C.

  2. Place the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and polenta in a large bowl and mix.

  3. Stir in the zest of three lemons and the caster sugar. Make a well in the centre.

  4. Mix the eggs, yoghurt and oil and gently stir them into the centre of the dry ingredients. Bring everything together without over-mixing.

  5. Scoop the mixture into the tin and bake for 40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

  6. In the meantime, beat the butter, icing sugar and natural yoghurt until smooth. Add the rest of the lemon zest.

  7. 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.

  8. Once it has completely cooled, smooth on the icing.

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