Valerie Gordon's Pistachio Lemon Olive Oil Cake
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.
Pistachio Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
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.
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.
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.
Spread the glaze across the top of the cake and sprinkle the perimeter with sumac, ground coriander and fleur de sel.
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