Donald started making olive oil cakes a few years ago using the excess fruit from our French prune orchard each September. When blueberries came into season the following year, the cake's proportions changed to take advantage of the higher water content of blueberries, and it has since been adapted for other fresh fruit olive oil cakes as well. We used Lucero Arbequina EVOO for the recipe here, however, any other mild EVOO, including Lucero Ascolano, would be terrific.
The recipe is simple, and the result is a moist dense cake with an abundance of fresh fruit. This recipe is suitable for a 9" round (per unglazed example below) or a standard loaf pan, and would also make particularly luxurious muffins.
Note: I have tagged this recipe vegetarian, however, strictly speaking, it for ovo-lacto vegetarians.
We've served this cake and those like it with a powdered sugar topping, and show it here with a wash of strained apricot fruit spread which has been heated and thinned with a bit of water.
Position a rack to the middle of the oven and heat oven to 350ºF
Butter a 8.5” x 4.5” loaf pan. For easy removal, place a small piece of parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of the pan and butter than also. Dust the inside of the pan with flour and tap out the excess.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and sea salt into a bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until well combined and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Add the oil and whisk until emulsified into the mixture.
All the flour mixture and combine until the flour leaves no streaks. Do not over mix.
Add the blueberries by gently folding in until evenly mixed.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs attached, about 45 to 50 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Insert a butter knife between the cake and the pan to release the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto the rack and lift off the pan. Remove the parchment, if used, and turn the loaf upright.
This cake can be enjoyed right away, however, slices more easily and evenly when completely cool. Store only after it has cooled.
Recipe Note
If you'd like to add a shiny glaze, try this. Heat some light colored jam, jelly, or fruit spread with just enough water to thin it to a heavy syrup consistency. We used an apricot jam for the loaf depicted above. Strain the syrup to remove any fruit pieces. Once the cake is out of the pan use a pastry brush to coat the top of the cake with the syrup.
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