Olive Oil Mini Cakes: Your Fancy New Snack

Very common in Italy, this simple cake lets the fruity flavors of olive oil shine.

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It’s easy to take olive oil, our number one pantry must-have, for granted. That’s why this month we are honoring olive oil, partnering with Sara Forte of Sprouted Kitchen to share tips, insights and recipes featuring olive oil.

There is a time and a place for an extravagant dessert, but these bite-sized treats defy dessert stereotypes. These pop-able delights are an elegant addition to a cocktail party, a brunch or as part of a dessert buffet — but they are equally appealing for those who may just want a little something sweet to end a family meal.

The magic of these cakes lies in the olive oil. While using butter as the fat in a cake batter brings an undeniably lovely creaminess to your dessert, olive oil has a higher fat content than butter (but without the palate-coating dairy fat), so it leaves your cakes very moist and pairs well with the light lemon flavor. This recipe keeps the cakes just moderately sweet to pair well with the lemony icing on top.

Live.Love.Lux Tip: For perfect cakes every time, count on the Perfect Taste™ Convection technology in your Electrolux Oven to circulate consistent heat for even results.

Mini Lemon Olive Oil Cakes with Blueberries

"I use blueberries here, but you can get creative with whatever fruit sounds appropriate for your season. Any berry will work and stonefruits are also lovely here at the end of the summer." -Sara

Servings: 15 standard or 30 mini muffin cakes

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Ingredients

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Zest of two lemons

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoon lemon extract

1/2 cup natural cane sugar

1/3 cup turbinado sugar

1 cup old fashioned oats, ground to a flour

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Topping:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 teaspoon softened butter

Pinch of salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease your muffin tins.

Into a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract and whisk to combine. Add the cane sugar, turbinado, oat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir until just combined — being careful to not overmix.

Fill the prepared muffin tins just over half way full and bake them on the middle rack until cooked: 14-15 minutes for the minis, 20-22 minutes for the standard size. Remove to cool completely.

While the muffins cool, prepare the icing. In another bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, softened butter and a small pinch of salt together until smooth. Add more sugar if you’d like it thicker or more lemon if you want a thin glaze.

Drizzle a small spoonful on top of each cake and sprinkle a few berries on top of the glaze to stick. Cakes are best the day they are made but will last a day or two covered at room temperature.

Note: The same recipe will make one 9-inch loaf if you do not need the mini cakes. 

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