Lemon Blueberry Olive Oil Cake

by LEON BOUTEILLER

As I was thinking of a recipe for this week’s edition, I remembered I had not chosen a dessert for some time. And as this is summer in the Berkshires, there are several local fruits and berries near and dear. Blueberries are one of my favorites and the thought of them brings back childhood memories. My mother would assign me a tin can with an attached hooped string to loop over my head and instructions to collect enough from the berry patch for a pie or two. A full quarter of the berries ended up in my mouth with a blue tongue to announce my indulgence.

Today’s recipe is an olive oil cake. The olive oil replaces the butter or other fat used in the batter. This cake is moist with a tender crumb and lemon taste to accompany the subtle nuance of olive oil. The olive oil will not overpower the flavor unless you choose an extra fruity variety. Do not use your best olive oil here. Just use a good all around one used for everyday cooking. The blueberries add flavor and interest as well as moisture. The batter is heavy so if you use large berries they will sink to the bottom. So use small wild or medium sized cultivated berries if you wish to have the berries be more evenly distributed. If you want to up the lemon flavor, just add the zest of a third lemon.

A thought on baking and oven temperatures. Often ovens are not calibrated accurately. I recommend an oven proof thermometer to check the oven temperature. Ovens may be off by as much as twenty five degrees which can greatly effect the cooking times and the performance of the leavening agent. It is good to use a toothpick or wooden skewer to check for doneness. Insert a skewer in the middle of the cake and it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, no raw batter.

LEMON BLUEBERRY OLIVE OIL CAKE

Prep:

  • You’ll need a well greased, floured ten inch springform pan with the bottom lined with parchment. A deep nine inch pan will work but it may take a few minutes longer to fully bake.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup olive oil

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 ½ cups natural sugar

  • 1/2 cup lemon juice from the lemons used for the zest

  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • Zest of 2 good sized lemons

  • 1 teaspoon fine salt

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • ⅓ cup wheat germ

  • 1 cup almond milk

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries tossed in 2 teaspoons flour

Method:

  • For best results, all ingredients should be at room temperature

  • Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside

  • In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the eggs, sugar and olive oil for about one minute. This can be accomplished in a stand mixer as well, but it’s not necessary because the oil blends in easily and takes on some volume just using the whisk

  • Stir in the vanilla, zest and lemon juice

  • Whisk in the dry ingredients and the almond milk in three equal stages. Mix only until well combined

  • Fold in the blueberries, then pour the batter into the prepared pan

  • Place the pan in a preheated 350F degree oven and bake for about 50 minutes. Test for doneness and bake for another 5 minutes if the tester comes out wet

  • Remove the cake form the oven and let rest for 15 minutes or so.

  • Release the ring from the springform pan and cool completely on a wire rack

  • Slide the cake onto a serving platter and dust with confectionary sugar

Serve this cake alone or with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream. It is delicious with its lemon and olive oil flavors and a burst of blueberry. Leftovers make a great breakfast pastry as well.

Enjoy!

Leon G Bouteiller was born and raised in Northwest Connecticut. He has held several jobs as chef in the community. He is now retired and living in Cornwall with his wife Patrice and a love of the outdoors. They are joined by their pets, a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog named Banjo and two rescue cats called Ricky and Lucy.

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