Today’s post , a recipe for Glazed Citrus, Almond and Olive Oil Cake, is from my friend Dr. Annie Fenn and is an excerpt from her new book The Brain Health Kitchen. Annie has made a career out of the fascinating intersection of food and health, and naturally derives inspiration from many of the ingredients we love and that are part of the Mediterranean Diet. Case in point: this delicious cake recipe features citrus, almonds and olive oil. If you’d like to dive deeper into the brain healthy benefits of recipes like this, we’ve partnered with Annie for a tour to Sicily this fall. Send us an email to find out all the details.
Post by Dr. Annie Fenn:
Glazed Citrus, Almond and Olive Oil Cake
Yield 12
This cake makes a persuasive case for baking with almond flour, whether you are gluten-free or not. Olive oil adds peppery spice and amplifies flavors like orange and lemon better than butter does.
You can use almond flour or meal interchangeably here with good results, with the meal resulting in a more rustic, nubby texture. Toasted and ground whole almonds work, too (see the sidebar). To reduce the amount of sugar, omit the glaze.
Ingredients
- â…” cup (150 ml) fruity olive oil, plus more for the pan and the glaze
- 1 small seedless orange (6 ounces/170 g), such as navel or Cara Cara
- 1 small lemon (5 ounces/140 g), such as a Meyer lemon
- 1½ cups (170 g) almond flour or meal
- 1 cup (115 g) oat or quinoa flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (170 g) coconut palm sugar
- ¼ cup (25 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons warm water
- Fresh berries, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush a nonstick 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with oil.
- Place the orange and lemon in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until you can easily insert the tip of a knife into the peel easily, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Combine the almond flour, oat flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Cut the lemon and orange in half through the equator. Scoop out the pulp and seeds from the lemon and discard, then scoop out just the seeds from the orange, keeping the pulp. Place the lemon rind and the deseeded orange in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it resembles a thick marmalade. Scrape into a measuring cup; you should have about 1 cup (250 g).
- Combine the eggs and coconut sugar in the food processor and process until frothy, about 1 minute. With the machine running, pour the oil through the top of the feed tube and process for another 1 minute until smooth. Scrape the egg mixture into the flour mixture and combine by hand until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the marmalade until evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the edges pull away from the sides and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, stir together the confectioners’ sugar and 2 teaspoons of the warm water until no lumps remain. Add up to 2 teaspoons oil until smooth and glossy.
- Run a flexible metal spatula or a knife between the edge of the pan and the cake, then release the sides. Pour the glaze over top and spread to the edges in an even layer with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.
- When the glaze has set, cut the cake into wedges and serve with fresh berries (if using).
- To store, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Or wrap each wedge individually and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you’d like to learn more about brain health and its connection to the traditional foods of Italy you can join Annie in Sicily September 10-16, 2023. Send us an email to find out the details. You can also read about the tour here.
And you can find more recipes like this one in Annie’s new book The Brain Health Kitchen.
hi this is not an original recipe! It is an old recipe from Claudia Roden!!!!
This is actually a very traditional recipe that is found all over the Mediterranean where you find citrus and almonds. Claudia Roden didn’t invent it, but she did (like many other people) publish a version of it. It’s kind of like saying Betty Crocker invented Apple Pie.