Lemon blueberry olive oil cake

I made this lemon blueberry olive oil cake a few weeks ago, and wanted to make sure I don’t lose the recipe. So posting it here for safekeeping and to share. I love cakes made with olive oil. The key is to use the best olive oil you can afford. This cake is not too sweet, fruity, with a nice crunchy texture from cornmeal.

Here is how to make it:

Ingredients

• 1 cup fine cornmeal
• 1 1/4 cup cake flour (or use 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup cornstarch)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 3 large eggs, at room temp
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/3 cup fruity olive oil
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9 inch cake pan (I use oil spray). It helps to line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper to make sure the cake doesn’t stick. These are the cake pans I use.

Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, cornstarch (if using), baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Add the sugar and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer, and use fingertips to rub the sugar and zest together until well mixed.

Add the eggs and beat on medium speed for about 4 minutes, until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened.

On low speed, add the vanilla and lemon juice, melted butter, and olive oil. Mix until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. 

Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Place half of the blueberries evenly on top of the batter. Then pour the rest of the batter evenly on top with the rest of the berries.

Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, until light golden brown on the top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a table knife around the edges to make sure the cake isn’t stuck. Then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, dust with powdered sugar and serve.

This Lemon blueberry cake is very similar to this red grape olive oil polenta cake from Fine Cooking which is also excellent.