Is extra virgin olive oil a suitable ingredient for making a sponge cake? Today we are going to show you that it is. We want to prove you that a dessert doesn’t have to be save only for special occasions. With the right ingredients you can be indulgent in your diet more often than you think. The trick is to choose the best quality ingredients and with a higher nutritional value for your sweet recipes.
If you love sweets dishes put under control this passion because you know that sugar consumption should be limited, this recipe is for you. On this occasion we want to show that it’s possible to eat a sponge cake without feeling guilty. In fact, this preparation is so nutritious and healthy that it can be your breakfast of the week (if it lasts that long in your fridge) accompanied with some fruit.
In addition to being really easy to prepare, this olive oil sponge cake with a lime nuance has an atypical glaze without refined sugars that you can make in just a few minutes. Follow the recipe and you will enjoy a delicious, healthy and nutritious dessert (or breakfast).
Ingredients for the preparation of the cake and glaze
For the cake:
200 g of whole wheat flour
15g baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 free range eggs
100 ml of extra virgin olive oil (Arbequina)
125g plain yogurt (unsweetened)
100 g of date paste
Lime zest (to taste)
Mint leaves
For the frosting:
1 can of full fat coconut milk
200g cashews
25 g of date paste
Zest and juice of ½ lime
Elaboration process
For the olive oil sponge cake:
Start by preparing the date paste, to do this you just have to remove the seeds from approximately 100 g of dates and add about 25 ml of water. You can leave them to soak for at least two hours for them to soften, or speed up the process by heating them in a frying sauce pan or microwave and then blend them until you get a paste.
Next, preheat the oven to 180ºC with top and bottom heat and, in a bowl, add the eggs and beat them together with most of the date paste (reserve a little more than a tablespoon for the glaze). Follow with the yogurt and mix well.
Now is the time to add the extra virgin olive oil along with the zest of half a lime (or to taste depending on your preferences), the teaspoon of cinnamon and the baking powder. Mix well until everything is mixed.
To add the whole wheat flour we recommend sifting it first to add it to the bowl, however, it’s not an absolutely necessary step if you prefer to prepare the sponge cake quicker. Once you have all the ingredients homogeneously integrated, add them to a cake pan greased with extra virgin olive oil, or on baking paper.
PRO TIP! In silicone molds, demolding is even easier.
Take the cake pan (or silicone mold) to the oven and let the cake cook for about 45 minutes. It’s recommended that after 30 minutes you check it since, depending on each oven, the cooking time may vary. You can prick it with a wooden stick and see if it comes out dry, if so, your cake is already cooked and you can remove it from the oven.
For the coconut lime frosting:
While the cake is in the oven you can start preparing the frosting. To do this you only have to blend the coconut milk with the cashews, the date paste that you had reserved, the zest and the juice of half a lime. Watch the consistency and if it’s too runny add a few more cashews. Reserve the resulting mixture in the fridge until the cake is ready so it thickens a bit.
PRO TIP! If your blender doesn’t have enough power you can previously soak the cashews. You will see that this way it’s easier to get a mixture without lumps.
Once you have removed the cake from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes, you can remove the glaze mixture from the fridge and add it to a pastry bag, or to a plastic bag in which you will make a cut. Decorate the top of the cake with this icing making the shapes you want. Finish with a few mint leaves and slices of lime and / or zest to decorate it.
Now you can enjoy this delicious dessert. Bon appetite!
