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Lemon Cornmeal Olive Oil Cake
A straightforward showstopper, this super flavorful cake can be made with store-bought lemon curd to make things breezy. If you’re feeling slightly more ambitious, homemade lemon curd is almost as simple as boiling water.
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Ingredients
Simple Lemon Curd
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, about 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup lemon juice, about 2 lemons
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon butter
Cake
- 1 tablespoon + 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, divided
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup lemon curd, store bought or homemade
Ricotta Whipped Cream
- 1 cup 35% whipping cream
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lemon
Directions
Simple Lemon Curd
- Whisk the lemon zest, juice, sugar, salt, and eggs in a small saucepot and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thick (about two to four minutes). Whisk in the butter and remove the curd from the heat. Pass the curd through a fine mesh sieve into a resealable container and chill in the fridge until needed. The lemon curd will be kept in the refrigerator for one week.
Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a nine-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle in one tablespoon of cornmeal and shake the pan to evenly coat the bottom and sides, tapping out any excess.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the brown sugar, olive oil, and eggs until well combined. Stir in the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla, and set aside.
- Whisk the remaining half a cup of cornmeal in a separate bowl with the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the oil and sugar mixture and stir until combined. Set the batter aside for 20 minutes to allow the cornmeal to hydrate.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Scoop lemon curd dots over the batter with a small spoon, then swirl it in with a butter knife or bamboo skewer.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the center of the cake is springy and a toothpick inserted into the middle, avoiding the lemon curd, comes out clean. If there is a little lemon curd on the toothpick, that is fine. You don’t want any cake batter. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Ricotta Whipped Cream
- When the cake is cool, whip the cream, ricotta, sugar, vanilla, and the zest of half of the lemon on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about two to three minutes. Dollop or spread the ricotta whipped cream over the cooled cake and scatter the zest of the remaining lemon half overtop.
- Slice and serve with an extra spoonful of lemon curd, if desired. Enjoy!
TIP: If you are making the cake in advance, leave it untopped tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature for up to four days. Once topped, store the cake in the fridge for up to two days.
TIP: If you are a batter eater, don’t be alarmed by how strong the olive oil flavour is. The taste will mellow as the cake bakes, leaving you with a subtle savoury olive oil flavour that pairs beautifully with the lemon.
Excerpted from In Mary’s Kitchen by Mary Berg. Copyright © 2023 Mary Berg. Photographs by Lauren Vandenbrook. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
