As I’ve mentioned before, I am not much of a baker. I don’t really like it and I’m not really good at it. But I quickly realized that every great meal ends with an equally great dessert. So, I started experimenting with some baking recipes. One of my first was an olive oil cake infused with lemon and limoncello. I really loved the citrus flavor but the limoncello was overpowering. What I loved most was there was no butter in the recipe! Since the extra virgin olive oil in the cake makes it a bit healthier, I started experimenting with other ways to make a healthier cake by cutting down on the refined sugar and all-purpose flour. And since I love the combination of orange and olive oil, I included both the zest and juice. The result, my orange olive oil cake with summer berry salad. The perfect summer dinner party dessert!
For the pairing, I chose a French White Burgundy, specifically a Bourgogne blanc. These wines are typically unoaked which makes them very food-friendly. The wines are crisp and refreshing with natural citrus flavors that complement the orange in the cake and lime in the berry salad. It’s the perfect pairing for a hot summer’s night dinner party or afternoon picnic. To learn more, check out my White Burgundy pairing page.
Orange Olive Oil Cake with Summer Berry Salad
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of almond flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup of whole milk
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1.5 tablespoons of orange zest (2 oranges)
- 1/4 cup of fresh orange juice (1 orange)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup of strawberries
- 1/2 cup of blueberries
- 1/2 cup of blackberries
- 1/2 cup of raspberries
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- Zest & juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Step 2 Brush a 9-inch, spring-form cake pan with olive oil and line the bottom with parchment paper. Brush the parchment paper with extra virgin olive oil.
- Step 3 In a bowl, whisk the flour, almond flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the olive oil, milk, eggs, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla, and honey. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. The batter will be slightly runny.
- Step 4 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes and up to an hour, until the top is golden brown, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and release it from the spring-form pan. Place the cake onto the wire rack and let cool completely before serving.
- Step 5 For the berry salad, combine the berries into a large bowl. Add the maple syrup, lime juice, and zest Stir to combine. When ready to serve, add in fresh basil.
