Valerie Gordon's Pistachio Lemon Olive Oil Cake Recipe - Los Angeles Times
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Valerie Gordon's Pistachio Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Time 1 hour plus cooling time
Yields Makes one 9-inch cake
A triangular slice of pistachio olive oil cake with lemon glaze on a small plate next to the remaining cake on a cake stand
(Silvia Rázgová / For The Times)
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This olive oil cake from Valerie Confections is moist and nutty with plenty of good olive oil and pistachio flour. Fresh lemon zest offers a blast of citrus. But what really sets this cake apart is the sprinkle of sumac, coriander and fleur de sel atop the sweet lemon glaze.

Note: Gordon uses Santa Barbara Pistachio Co. pistachio flour.

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Pistachio Lemon Olive Oil Cake

For the cake
For the glaze
1

Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.

2

In a large bowl, sift and whisk together the flour, pistachio flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the olive oil, lemon zest, milk, sour cream, eggs, egg white and vanilla extract on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until well combined, another 30 seconds. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients a little at a time until the batter is fully integrated and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not overmix; the batter should be thoroughly mixed but loose. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and use a spatula to spread evenly.

3

Bake the cake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool the cake completely for at least 1 hour and remove from the pan. Invert the cake onto a platter.

4

Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, add the powdered sugar and lemon juice and mix with a silicone spatula or large spoon. The icing may seem thick at first but will thin out as you stir. Mix for 2 minutes; the glaze should still be thick but pourable.

5

Spread the glaze across the top of the cake and sprinkle the perimeter with sumac, ground coriander and fleur de sel.

This recipe makes more glaze than is needed for the cake; just to be sure there is enough to entirely cover it. Reserve any leftover in a container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.