OLIVE OIL, STRAWBERRIES AND LEMON SLAB CAKE
This cake takes inspiration from Lesley Russell’s slab cake recipe from her cookbook, ‘Nothing rhymes with Orange’. This recipe has subbed in the local goods, using summer berries, olive oil, Tuerong Farm flour, Yolky Dokey eggs and summer’s strawbs with almond meal, resulting in a moist and beautiful rich golden crumb coloured cake. It is an easy dessert to whip up for a crowd, plus the moist keeping quality is perfect to have on hand to serve with a cuppa over a few days. For other flavour combinations, switch out some or all of the strawberries and replace with a selection of mixed berries, or sliced apricot or plums. As the weather cools try thinly sliced pear. It’s a cake that keeps on giving across the seasons.
Makes a 20cm x 30cm cake.
2 eggs size (XL Yokey Dokey)
220g (1cup) castor sugar
180ml (3/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
250g (1 cup) Greek natural yoghurt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of one lemon
200g (1 1/3 cup) plain flour
100g (1 cup) almond meal
300g strawberries, hulled and halved
Preheat the oven to 175°C (155°C fan-forced). Grease and line a deep 20cm x 30cm baking tray with baking paper with extra overhang around the sides (this acts as a handle to lift cake after baking).
In a large bowl whisk the sugar and eggs together until thick and creamy. Slowly pour in the oil while constantly whisking until well combined. Add the yoghurt, vanilla and lemon zest and whisk again to mix well. Sift the flour, almond meal and baking powder over the mixture, then stir until a smooth batter forms, without any lumps. Add a third of the berries and gently fold in to incorporate. Pour the batter into the lined tray and spread out evenly. Scatter the remaining berries over the top.
Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Lift the cake out of tin holding on to the baking paper (or invert onto cake rack). If eating warm, dust with icing sugar and cut the cake in to serving size pieces. Top with a dollop of yoghurt or cream. Alternatively allow to cool completely and serve at room temperature.
Store in an airtight container. The cake is best eaten within 4 days.
Recipe by Fiona Hammond, Jan 2024.
