Keep Glowing with Pearl

Warmer temperatures, longer sunsets, all-day park hangs… there’s just *something* about spring that feels extra renewing. We tapped our friend Pearl of @hernameisnala, a social club that creates unique, community-driven dining experiences, to lend us the recipe for her easy and delicious Olive Oil Cake with Lilac Mascarpone frosting. Light, moist, and just the right amount of zesty, it’s the perfect treat for an outdoor picnic. 

Pro tip: Grab the recipe for our Saie iced oat milk latte to serve alongside it. :) 

Enjoy! 

 

Olive Oil Cake with Lilac Mascarpone Frosting

What you’ll need: 

• 1¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil
• Olive oil spray
• 1 cup granulated sugar (plus 2 tbs more for coating cake pan)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup almond flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 3 tbs sweet vermouth
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
  
  

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tbs culinary-grade lavender leaves (plus more for garnish)
• 1 cup mascarpone, cold
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• lilac food coloring (optional)
  
  

Equipment needed:

• 9-inch cake pan and mixer (standing or hand-held)

Make the cake! 

1. Make lavender syrup by boiling your sugar, water, and lavender leaves in a small saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved and strain through a sieve.
2. Preheat the oven to 400F, coat your cake pan with oil spray, line it with a round of parchment paper, and spray once more on top. Coat the top layer evenly with sugar.
3. Mix all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until well-combined
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together sweet vermouth, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
5. Using a standing mixer on high speed, beat your eggs, lemon zest, and sugar until the batter is very light & pale. Gradually add in your olive oil. Reduce your mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the dry flour mixture, then the sweet vermouth mixture.
6. Scrape the batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top, and tapping to level it out.
7. Once oven is pre-heated to 400F, reduce oven temperature to 350F, then place in your cake. Bake for about 50 minutes.
8. Transfer cake pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a thin knife around the edge of the cake and remove it from the pan to let cool.
9. While your lovely cake cools, make the lavender frosting. Add mascarpone and lavender syrup to a bowl and mix together well. Then add in your powdered sugar and food coloring as well. Mix well!
10. Use a spatula to spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake then garnish the cake with more lavender leaves. That's it! <3