Mediterranean Olive Oil Cake Recipes

ITALIAN APPLE OLIVE OIL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the chopped apples in a bowl and add orange juice; just enough juice to toss and coat apples so as to prevent browning.
• In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside for now
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, add sugar and extra virgin olive oil. Mix on low for 2 minutes until well-combined
• While mixer is on, add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to mix another 2 minutes until mixture increases in volume (it should be thicker but still runny)
• In the large bowl with the dry ingredients, make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add the wet mixture (the sugar and olive oil mixture) into the well. Using a wooden spoon, stir until just blended; it will be a thick batter (do not add anything to loosen it).
• Drain raisins (which have been soaking in water) completely; and rid apples of excess juice. Add both raisins and apples to the batter and mix with spoon until well-combined. Again, batter will be fairly thick.
• Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Spoon thick batter into the pan, and level the top with the back of your wooden spoon.
• Bake in 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until an inserted tooth pick or wooden skewer comes out clean.
• Cool completely in pan. When ready, simply lift parchment up to transfer cake into a serving dish. Dust with confectioner's sugar. Alternatively, heat some dark honey to serve on top (those with a sweeter tooth like this option.)

MEDITERRANEAN OLIVE OIL CAKE

Steps:

• Make the syrup at least a day ahead. When ready, bring 3 cups water, sugar, honey, and cardamom to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, and syrup is reduced to 3 1/4 cups, about 40 minutes. Strain syrup, removing cardamom pods and seeds.
• When ready to make the cake, first, preheat oven to 350F, then brush 9" diameter springform pan with oil.
• Have two medium bowls and one large bowl set aside. In the first medium bowl, whisk both flours and the baking powder, ground cardamom, salt and baking soda. Mix well.
• Using an electric mixer with the large bowl, beat 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup oil for 1 minute. Beat in yolks, then add the flour mixture. Beat in yogurt, zest, and extracts.
• In the other medium bowl and using clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar until firm peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter just to blend, in 2 portions. Transfer to prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Pierce hot cake all over with a thin metal skewer. Slowly drizzle 3/4 cup warm syrup all over. When syrup is absorbed, slowly pour 3/4 cup more syrup over. Reserve remaining syrup to use during serving.
• Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack. Run a thin knife around edge of pan to release cake. Remove pan sides. Sprinkle almonds over. Cut into wedges and serve drizzled with more syrup.