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Grandmother's Olive Oil Cake




Source of Recipe


Judy Zeidler, Author, The Gourmet Jewish Cook (William Morrow and Co., Inc., 1999).


List of Ingredients




For the caramel sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into
small pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream, warmed
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the cake:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup ground toasted hazelnuts
1 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
2 Tbs. plus 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup sifted unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 egg
Grated zest of 2 lemons
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving


Recipe



To make the caramel sauce, in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and corn syrup. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Boil the syrup, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 300°F.

Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in a few pieces of the butter. Return the pan to medium-high heat and whisk in the remaining butter pieces. The mixture will bubble up. Slowly add the warm cream, never allowing the mixture to stop boiling. Continue to boil, stirring constantly, until the thermometer registers 238°F (soft-ball stage), 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the vanilla. Pour the caramel sauce into a heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature. The sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks. To soften it, warm it in a double boiler just before serving.

To make the cake, preheat an oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the ground hazelnuts.

In a small bowl, stir together the chopped hazelnuts and the 2 Tbs. sugar. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg and the 1/2 cup sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the 1/4 cup olive oil and the lemon zest and beat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the milk mixture and beat until incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the hazelnut-sugar mixture on top. Bake until the cake is brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Remove the pan sides. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake into slices. Serve each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of the caramel sauce. Serves 8.