Olive Oil Cake with Fresh Grapes

 This week’s bake is an Olive Oil Cake with Fresh Grapes from Pastry Love by Joanne Chang

“Like a classic French yogurt cake, this one has some almond flour in the mix. Unlike the classic, it’s got egg yolks as well as whole eggs. It’s the oil, almonds and yolks that give the light sponge a pleasant richness and a welcome toothsomeness.  The flavors of olive oil, almonds, lemon and yogurt hopscotch.  And when you hit a grape, you get a pop of sweetness and tang. It’s a great cake.”   Dorie Greenspan

Olive Oil, unlike other vegetable oils, is extracted from a fruit and not a seed. The word “oil” comes from the Arabic “az-zait”, which refer to the juice of olives. But Homer famously coined the term “liquid gold” to describe Olive Oil thousands of years ago. This oil is a central and distinguishing component of the Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest diets around. 

Olive oil was discovered and began to be used thousands of years ago in the classical era when various Mediterranean civilisations (Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans) began to grow olive trees and extract juice from the olives. But it was in Ancient Greece where the olive tree, its fruit and Olive Oil achieved the importance they enjoy today. It’s no coincidence that these elements appear represented on coins or on tombs as symbols of immortality.

In 2019–20, world production of olive oil was 3.2 million metric tons.  Spain produced 35% of world production. The next largest producers were Italy, Tunisia, Greece, Morocco and Turkey.

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest grade of virgin olive oil derived by cold mechanical extraction without use of solvents or refining methods.   It contains no more than 0.8% free acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste, having some fruitiness and no defined sensory defects.

San Marino has by far the largest per capita consumption of olive oil worldwide, around 24 L of olive oil per person per year;  Greece, Spain and Italy, around 14 L; Tunisia, Portugal, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, around 8 L; Israel, around 3.5 L.  Northern Europe and North America consume far less, around 0.7 L, but the consumption of olive oil outside its home territory has been rising steadily.

Here is the recipe for this week’s bake

Olive Oil Cake with Fresh Grapes

Adapted from PASTRY LOVE by Joanne Chang

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup/180 grams plain whole milk Greek yogurt 

3/4 cup/165 grams olive oil 

3/4 cup/150 grams superfine sugar 

2 large eggs (about 100 grams), at room temperature

2 large egg yolks (about 40 grams), at room temperature

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 1 large lemon)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 large lemon)

 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

 1 1/4 cups/175 grams all-purpose flour

 3/4 cup/75 grams almond flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

 1 cup seedless green grapes (about 5 ounces/150 grams)

 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven. 

Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with a parchment paper circle and set it aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, sugar, whole eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and almond extract. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Pour the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture and fold them together until fully combined. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan. 

Slice the grapes in half and arrange them cut side up in concentric circles on top of the batter.

Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, rotating the cake pan midway through the baking time, until the cake springs back when you press it in the middle and a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. 

When cool, carefully invert the cake onto a flat plate and lift off the pan; peel off the parchment. Place a serving plate on top of the cake and turn it right side up so the grapes are on top.

Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the cake evenly with the confectioners’ sugar to finish.

Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Here are some pictures from the bake:

Have a great day !