by Andrea Ball The Green Gourmet
This cake is made beautifully moist and fragrant thanks to the South Australian extra virgin olive oil which replaces the usual butter. Choose a fruity, late-harvest olive oil (we used Nangkita), and be sure to measure your oil in grams on a scale, which isn’t the same quantity as mls in a cup!
What you’ll need
150g blanched almond meal
100g unbleached plain flour
50g poppy seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon fine salt
200g full cream natural Greek yoghurt
60ml fresh orange juice
125g raw caster sugar
Grated zest of 1½ oranges
3 extra-large pasture-raised eggs
1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence
125g Australian extra virgin olive oil (see note at top of recipe)
Topping
25g demerara sugar
Grated zest of 1½ oranges
Pinch of flaky salt
50g slivered almonds
What to do, preheat oven to 180°C (not fan-forced). Grease base and sides of 22cm round springform cake pan with olive oil, line the base with compostable baking paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk almond meal, flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, bicarb soda and salt until evenly distributed. In a small bowl or measuring jug, stir together the yoghurt and orange juice.
Place the sugar in a separate large bowl rub in zest until fragrant, then add eggs and vanilla. Use beaters on high speed to whisk mixture until light and creamy – a couple of minutes.
Turn the mixer speed down to medium and gradually drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is voluminous, like mayonnaise!
Add half the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Add half the yoghurt and orange juice and mix on low speed. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture, finishing with the second half of the yoghurt and orange juice.
Spoon into lined cake pan and smooth top of the cake with a spatula.
For the topping, place the demerara sugar and orange zest in a small bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar until damp and fragrant. Add the pinch of flaky salt and slivered almonds, stir and sprinkle evenly over the top of the cake.
Place in oven and cook for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 170°C and cook for 15 minutes (a total of 35 minutes) until light golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Place the cake in its tin on a wire rack to cool for 1 hour, before turning out. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Best served while still slightly warm with a spoonful of crème fraiche on the side.