Hello, spring! While rhubarb and ramps have yet to make their appearance in my area (my personal judge of spring’s arrival), I am definitely in a springtime mood. This winter seemed to stretch on to eternity, so it is time for a change. High 40 degree temps? The standards are low this year, but I’ll take it! Easter is this weekend, so I wanted to post a little something sweet. This strawberry almond olive oil cake would be a beautiful addition to your Easter menu, and is equally at home at brunch or after dinner. It is also gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free, so it satisfies an array of dietary restrictions. If you don’t celebrate Easter, but like cake, then this one is a perfect way to celebrate spring’s arrival.
I have become obsessed with olive oil cakes over the last year. If you’re not familiar with this Italian dessert, you have been missing out! It is at once rich and light, and is always incredibly moist thanks to the extra virgin olive oil. On a whim, I made an olive oil cake for New Years Eve this year with pear and cranberry. It was so insanely delicious, I have been regularly making versions of it ever since. This version brings together in-season citrus and strawberries for a springtime twist.
I’ll often make this cake with a mixture of almond flour and spelt flour, but decided to make it completely grain-free this time. I use almond flour and a little arrowroot powder. The arrowroot powder is a starch that helps lighten the texture of this cake. It is widely available and nice to have on hand to use as a thickener for sauces or pie fillings. You may substitute cornstarch in equal amounts, but I prefer arrowroot because it is less likely to be contaminated by GMOs through cross-pollination.
I like to serve a slice of this cake with a dollop of yogurt (coconut yogurt, if you want to keep it dairy-free) and fresh strawberries. A dusting of powdered sugar would also make a very nice presentation.
Enjoy!! xo Maggie
Strawberry Almond Olive Oil Cake — Grain-free + Dairy-free
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 8-10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup raw sugar
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon — about 1 tbsp
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 3/4 cup sliced strawberries
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tbsp raw turbinado sugar, for sprinkling atop cake
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and rub a 9-inch round springform pan with olive oil (a regular round pan will work, too, but I would recommend lining the bottom with a circle of parchment).
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients until combined.
- In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together eggs, sugar, honey, olive oil, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice until smooth. Add dry ingredients little-by-little, stirring until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Arrange strawberry slices and sliced almonds on top of batter. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar to lightly coat — about 1-2 tbsp.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden-brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before removing from the pan.
- Serve with yogurt and fresh strawberries. Enjoy!
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