Lemon Olive Oil Cake Recipe with Blueberry Compote

This Lemon Olive Oil Cake is full of citrus flavor and the wheat flour adds a delightful crunch to the batter. It’s perfect for tea at Grandma’s house!

This winter, Long Island has seen more snow that we usually have and it’s getting kind of ugly over here. Everywhere I go, people are bellyaching about the weather and getting pretty cranky. I don’t really blame them – Long Islanders typically enjoy a fairly decent climate year-round and we’re just not cut out for long winters.

However, as a mom to two young kids, I don’t get a choice about whether or not I want to be out in the snow. Since snow is a novelty around here, my kids are outside in it every chance they get. So, we’re making the best of it because bellyaching about it isn’t going to get me, ahem us, anywhere.

Yesterday, I finally got some peace and quiet around here (the kids were at school) and I had visions of springtime dancing in my head. I was staring out the window, watching my fat cardinals stare back at me, and I got a hankering for a springy, lemony dessert. I have no idea why the cardinals made me crave lemons, but they did, so I went online in search of a tasty dessert.

By chance, I came across this Lemon Olive Oil Cake from Meal Makeover Moms and it looked right up my alley. I had never made an olive oil cake before and I have recently been experimenting with wheat flour, so I thought I would give it a whirl.

If you have never cooked with whole wheat flour before, it’s important to note that wheat flour will alter the taste of the end product because it still contains the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. Due to this, whole wheat flours do not develop gluten readily and can lead to a heavier-tasting cake. In this instance, this olive oil cake is definitely more dense than I am used to and has a slightly nutty texture. But do not be afraid, I actually like the change – it gives it a bit more substance.

This cake is perfect to bring to Grandma’s house for tea, especially when plated with the light and airy blueberry compote. (However, my daughter swears her slice was better than mine. She hates blueberries, so she ate a huge honking slice with some of my Strawberry Freezer Jam instead. Potatoes-Potatoes. I like blueberries, she likes strawberries.) Unlike a super dense chocolate cake, this one leaves you with lovely visions of daffodils, tulips and forsythia blooms in your head.

LEMON OLIVE OIL CAKE RECIPE WITH BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

Recipe adapted from Meal Makeover Moms. Makes 12 servings. 

Ingredients Cake:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt (We used Stonyfield Organic.)
• 3/4 cup full-fat milk (We used Stonyfield Organic.)
• 3 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 large lemons.)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (We used King Arthur Flour.)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (We used King Arthur Flour.)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients Blueberry Compote:

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 cups frozen wild blueberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Powdered sugar, optional

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat a 9-inch springform cake pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter and set aside. (If you don’t have a springform pan, use a 10-inch cake pan and cook about 5 to 10 minutes less.)

Step 2: Whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, yogurt, milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk until well combined.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and slowly add the liquid ingredients, stirring until just combined and lumps are gone. (You may need to use a rubber scraper to smash the lumps against the sides of the bowl.) Do not overmix.

Step 4: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake is just pulling away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake to a serving platter.

Step 5: To make the blueberry compote, place the lemon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside. Place the blueberries, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, add the cornstarch mixture, and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.

Step 6: Serve each cake slice with the compote, and sprinkle with powdered sugar as desired.

Happy eating,
Denine

P.S. Want to know more about wheat flour and your options? Check out Good Question: Substituting White Whole Wheat Flour? from theKitchn.

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