Zucchini Olive Oil Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze
I made this cake to take to a Books for Cooks meeting. We were discussing a book on olive oil that I hadn't read, but we were also going to share olive oil tastings and cold summer soups all using olive oil. I found out that you don't need to use a super expensive olive oil in this cake because with all the other flavors you can't taste the flavor of the olive oil. However, it is a delicious cake. The women attending the book club all liked it and Arthur loved it and said it had to go on "the blog."
I grated the zucchini with the grating disk on my food processor. It takes quite a bit of zucchini to make this cake, which in the height of summer is a good thing.
1 cup (135g) almonds, pecans, or walnuts, toasted
2 cups (280g) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 3/4 (350g) cups sugar
1 cup (250ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (300g) finely grated zucchini
1 tablespoon lemon zest
For the lemon glaze:
1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
1 cup (140g) powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 10 cup bundt or tube cake pan with non-stick spray or butter, dust with flour, then tap out any excess. I used Pam Baking Spray which has flour in the spray and eliminates the need to dust the pan with flour. Its a handy product.
Pulse the nuts in a food processor until chopped. The original recipe called for them to be finely chopped. I'm not sure that coarsely chopped wouldn't be fine.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
I used a hand electric mixer to beat the eggs, 1 3/4 cup (350g) sugar, and olive oil for 3 minutes on medium speed, until light and fluffy. A stand mixer would probably be better, but I don't own one. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed in well, then beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.
Stir in the chopped nuts, lemon zest and zucchini.
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan, smooth the top, then bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan.
During the last few minutes of the cake baking, make the glaze by whisking together the lemon juice, 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar, and powdered sugar. You must use the granulated sugar if you want the glaze to have a "crunch."
Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a cooling rack. Brush the glaze over the cake with a pastry brush while still warm and let the cake cool completely.
I would make the cake the day before if you can. I think the flavor improves with sitting overnight. You need to put the glaze on when the cake is hot though or it won't stick.
Adapted from David Lebovitz's blog, Living the Sweet Life in Paris. It's also listed on other sites, but his recipe provides the best directions and measurements. His blog is well worth checking out.
I grated the zucchini with the grating disk on my food processor. It takes quite a bit of zucchini to make this cake, which in the height of summer is a good thing.
1 cup (135g) almonds, pecans, or walnuts, toasted
2 cups (280g) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 3/4 (350g) cups sugar
1 cup (250ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (300g) finely grated zucchini
1 tablespoon lemon zest
For the lemon glaze:
1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
1 cup (140g) powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 10 cup bundt or tube cake pan with non-stick spray or butter, dust with flour, then tap out any excess. I used Pam Baking Spray which has flour in the spray and eliminates the need to dust the pan with flour. Its a handy product.
Pulse the nuts in a food processor until chopped. The original recipe called for them to be finely chopped. I'm not sure that coarsely chopped wouldn't be fine.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
I used a hand electric mixer to beat the eggs, 1 3/4 cup (350g) sugar, and olive oil for 3 minutes on medium speed, until light and fluffy. A stand mixer would probably be better, but I don't own one. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed in well, then beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.
Stir in the chopped nuts, lemon zest and zucchini.
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan, smooth the top, then bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan.
During the last few minutes of the cake baking, make the glaze by whisking together the lemon juice, 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar, and powdered sugar. You must use the granulated sugar if you want the glaze to have a "crunch."
Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a cooling rack. Brush the glaze over the cake with a pastry brush while still warm and let the cake cool completely.
I would make the cake the day before if you can. I think the flavor improves with sitting overnight. You need to put the glaze on when the cake is hot though or it won't stick.
Adapted from David Lebovitz's blog, Living the Sweet Life in Paris. It's also listed on other sites, but his recipe provides the best directions and measurements. His blog is well worth checking out.
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