Pistachio & Honey Olive Oil Cake
This cake is the definition of simple elegance. We have sweet pistachios and almonds, good olive oil, honey, and fresh cream that come together to make this masterpiece of a cake. Despite how fancy it feels, it's pretty simple to put together. Plus this is a cake that actually gets better the more you let it sit and it won't dry out. So make this up to a day ahead of time before serving- perfect for dinner parties. PS: the honeycomb topping is optional, really it doesn't add any additional honey flavor. It's just super pretty, decadent, and is kind of like nature's version of a gusher. You can find it on amazon, World Market, or occasionally trader joes.
Servings: 12 yield(s)
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 65 mins
Ingredients
    For the Cake
  • 2 cup Good olive oil (Plus a little more for the pan)
  • 1 cup Granulated sugar (Plus a little more for the pan)
  • 2 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1/3 cup Almond meal
  • 2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 3 tbsp Amaretto
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
  • 3 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1/4 cup Honey
    • For the Frosting
  • 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 pt Heavy Whipping Cream (Cold)
    • For the topping
  • 1/2 cup Chopped Pistachios
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • 1 Piece Fresh Honeycomb (optional)
Instructions
    For the Cake
  1. Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. If you have a springform pan, that's helpful here but if not that's ok, use a 9 inch cake pan. Prepare your cake pan by drizzling the bottom and sides of the pan with a generous amount of olive oil and use your fingers to evenly coat the pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and smooth down on top of the olive oil to remove any bubbles. Add more olive oil on top of the parchment. Finally, generously sprinkle granulated sugar over the pan to coat. Tap out excess. This will create a nice sugary crispy crust for the cake.
  2. Combine flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine amaretto, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.
  3. Using either a hand mixer or stand mixer (use the whisk attachment), beat your eggs and sugar in a large bowl on high until the mixture is lighter in color and thick, about 3 - 5 minutes. With the mixer still on high, slowly incorporate 1 and 1/4 cup olive oil into the mixture. Reduce speed to low and alternate adding your dry and wet ingredients. Once the mixture is just combined, turn off the mixer.
  4. Pour your cake batter into the prepared pan. Make sure the top is relatively smooth, and sprinkle with a generous pinch of sugar. Place cake in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake until top is golden brown and the center is firm, about 40 - 50 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack, letting it cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
  5. Using a toothpick or skewer, poke small holes all over the top of the cake. Drizzle with olive oil (between 2 tbsp and 1/4 of a cup) and honey, letting it absorb into the cake. I f you're using a springform pan: run a thin knife around the edges of the cake. and remove the side of the pan. If you're using a regular pan: run a thin knife around the edges of the cake and carefully remove the cake from the pan by placing a plate on the top of the cake pan and flipping it out gently onto the plate. Transfer the cake (with the poked holes facing up) onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. Once cooled, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until ready to serve, up to 2 days.
    6. For the Frosting / Toppings
  6. When you're about ready to serve dessert, make your frosting. Add your cold heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar to a bowl. Using a hand mixer beat on high for 3 - 5 minutes until the heavy cream becomes stiff, light, and airy.
  7. Remove cake from plastic wrap. Top with the whipped cream and spread across the top of the cake. Top the whipped cream with a final generous drizzle of honey, chopped pistachios, and honeycomb if desired. Slice and Enjoy!