Babbo's Almond Olive Oil Cake

If I had known how yummy homemade olive oil cakes are, I would have started making them along time ago! The olive oil, used in place of the standard cake fats like butter and canola oil, imparts a more nutty taste and super moist crumbs. There is just enough sugar so it's not overly sweet. This cake is left simple and frosting-less, with only a powdered sugar glaze and crunchy almonds to top it. 

There are alot of different variations of olive oil cakes. Smitten Kitchen made a blood orange one - I will definitely need to try that soon! I also saw one with orange and sliced figs on top that looked super yummy as well. Zen Can Cook prettied hers up with a torched layer of meringue on top.

I served this Babbo version at Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! We all agreed that the brown butter made the glaze super delicious and should not be left out of the recipe. The cake, while yummy, is a little bland and boring without it. 

Almond Olive Oil Cake 
adapted from Babbo

Ingredients 
For the Cake: 
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup blanched or natural almond flour 
1½ teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon kosher salt 
3 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon pure almond extract 
Grated zest of 1 medium orange
½ cup orange juice 

For the Brown Butter Glaze: 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
1 cup confectioners sugar 
3 tablespoons whole milk 
Fresh lemon juice 
½ cup sliced, blanched almonds, toasted and cooled 

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt to thoroughly combine them and set aside. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk them lightly to break up the yolks. Add the sugar to the bowl and whisk it in thoroughly in both directions for about 30 seconds. Add the olive oil and whisk until the mixture is a bit lighter in color and has thickened slightly, about 45 seconds. Whisk in the extracts and zest, followed by the orange juice. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk until they are thoroughly combined; continue whisking until you have a smooth, emulsified batter, about 30 more seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake the cake for 30 to 45 minutes, rotating the cake pan halfway through the cooking time to ensure even browning. The cake is done when it has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, springs back lightly when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for ten minutes in the pan, then gently remove it from the pan and allow it cool completely on a rack. 

While the cake cools, make the glaze. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small, heavy saucepan. When the bubbles subside, lower the heat and watch the butter carefully, swirling it in the pan occasionally to distribute the heat. When the butter begins to turn a light tan color and smells slightly nutty, turn off the heat and let the butter sit. It will continue to darken as it sits. While the butter cools, sift the confectioner’s sugar into a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk until completely smooth but thick, then slowly whisk in the butter. Taste the glaze and add a few drops of lemon juice to balance the sweetness. Stir in the toasted almonds. Spread the almonds and glaze onto the top and sides of the cake and let it sit until set and dry.