On a recent trip to Costco I spotted a huge carton of beautiful Meyer lemons.
These fragrant lemons, a cross between a lemon and a mandarin or regular orange, bear a deep yellow hue with an orange tint when ripe.
Meyer lemons are sweeter and less acidic than the lemons we usually buy.
They are not always available, so when I find them, especially in bulk as most items at Costco are sold, I buy them.
And look forward to exploring the many options of what to make with them once I get them home.
Last December I bought a carton of Meyer lemons, again at Costco, and turned them into a fantastic Meyer Lemon Curd which I shared with friends as holiday gifts.
This time I decided after much research to bake this Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake.
For some time now I have been curious about cakes I’ve read about that include olive oil rather than butter in the ingredients, unsure whether it would be to my liking.
Somehow the combination of Meyer lemons with a fruity olive oil and the simplicity of this single layer cake made in a springform pan won me over.
It produces a deliciously moist crumb with lemony tones that don’t overwhelm balanced with just the right amount of sweetness.
Served plain with a cup of tea or coffee, or fancied up with some fresh berries this is a cake I will definitely be making again. Hope you will try it!
Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake ( adapted from Healthy Green Kitchen’s Blog)
(serves 8)
Ingredients:
1 and ½ cup all purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of sea salt
2 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest
½ cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
½ cup fruity olive oil
For the syrup:
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup Meyer lemon juice
For the icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with olive oil, and flour the bottom of the pan.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the lemon zest and mix well.
In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, sugar, eggs and olive oil. Whisk well to combine. (You can use an electric mixer with the whisk attachment or whisk by hand). Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk again to combine.
Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center cones out clean. To avoid overbaking check it after 25 minutes.
Cool the cake for 15 minutes and then remove the sides of the pan.
Prick the cake all over with a fork, whisk the syrup ingredients together, and then drizzle the syrup all over the cake, allowing they syrup to sink into all those fork holes.
Allow the cake to cool for another 30 minutes.
Then whisk the icing ingredients together. Using an offset spatula or a spoon. cover the top of the cake with the icing, allowing it to run down the sides somewhat if you like.
Serve the cake immediately or wait 45 minutes to an hour and the glaze will harden.
Enjoy!