Olive Oil-Lime Cake with Any Fruit

This summer's best cake, no stand or electric mixer required.

Earlier this month, when I posted a poll on Instagram about what summer dessert people wanted developed into a recipe, the winner was a brown-butter lime cake. But, after the first test, the zestiness of the lime faded into the background. Butter is great in so many baked goods, but its heft can sometimes subdue even the boldest of flavors, so I reached for one of my favorite ingredients: Extra virgin olive oil.

It’s no secret that olive oil makes an epically delicious cake. The flavor of the oil itself becomes a supporting character, worthy of an Oscar—more on EVOO choice later—while also allowing other flavors to take center stage. In this case, the lime comes through bigger and brighter, giving the cake an incredible aroma and taste, and making it the perfect partner for summer fruits galore.

When baking my final test, I found myself with a bounty of fresh mulberries from the Frog Hollow Farm—located in central California, this iconic farm grows the best mulberries, cherries, plums, peaches, and more—but any berries, stone fruit, or even mangoes would work beautifully here. The fruit gets tossed with a touch of lime juice, a little sugar, and a pinch of salt, turning them into the best, juiciest versions of themselves, and then piled atop the cake along with a lush drifts of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Another bonus about this cake? The batter comes together in the time it takes the oven to preheat—no waiting for butter to soften!—with just a whisk, no stand or electric mixer required.

Olive Oil-Lime Cake with Any Fruit

The flavor of the olive oil will come through in the finished cake, so my preference here is a milder extra virgin olive oil (save those big, punchy, polyphenol-forward oils for finishing dishes and salads). My go-to extra virgin olive oils for baking are Séka Hills Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Corto Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Or, if I am using another citrus, like lemons or tangerines, I will sometimes reach for agrumato-style citrus olive oils. The olives for these oils are crushed with the whole citrus, capturing the fruit’s essential oils in the final olive oil, and making it the perfect addition to any cake where citrus is being celebrated. And, in the summer if I’m feeling a little wild, I’ll switch out the lime for lemon and use Calivirgin’s Basil Olive Oil (this cake is perfection with strawberries macerated with fresh basil and a touch of good balsamic vinegar).

Makes one 9” cake

INGREDIENTS

• 1⅔ cups (200g) all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch

• ¾ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ¾ cup (144g) granulated white sugar

• ¼ cup (48g) light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt

• Zest of 2 limes

• 2 large eggs, straight from the refrigerator

• ¾ cup buttermilk

• ⅔ cup mild extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the fruit

• 2 pints fresh berries, such as raspberries, mulberries, blackberries or quartered strawberries OR 3 cups sliced or cubed fruit, like nectarines, mangoes, or plums

• 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• Pinch of kosher salt

For the whipped cream

• 1½ cups heavy whipping cream

• 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• Pinch of kosher salt

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch, round baking pan, line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, and set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine 1⅔ cups (200g) all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon baking soda, stir to combine, and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, add ¾ cup (144g) granulated white sugar, ¼ cup (48g) light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ½ teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt, and the zest of 2 limes, and rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the oils are released from the citrus zest and the mixture looks like damp sand, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Add 2 large eggs, ¾ cup buttermilk, ⅔ cup mild extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, and 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, and whisk until the sugar starts to dissolve.

4. Fold in the reserved dry ingredients with a spatula until a smooth batter forms, the transfer to the prepared baking pan, tapping the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until light golden and a toothpick can be cleanly inserted into the center of the cake, 32 to 37 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 1 hour, then run a paring knife around the edge, remove the cake, and let the cake cool completely, if serving later that day. If serving the next day, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, leaving the parchment on the bottom of the cake, and store at room temperature.

5. One hour before serving, prepare the fruit. Place 2 pints of berries or 3 cups sliced or cubed fruit in a large bowl and toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and a pinch of kosher salt. Let sit at room temperature, gently stirring occasionally.

6. To make the whipped cream, combine 1½ cups heavy whipping cream, 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt in a large bowl and whip by hand or with an electric mixer until medium-firm peaks. Refrigerate until serving.

7. To serve, unwrap the cake, remove the bottom parchment, and place on a serving plate. Swoosh the whipped cream artfully on top of the cake and then spoon the macerated fruit and any juices that have accumulated on top. Serve immediately.

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Make-ahead: This cake can me made up to 2 days in advance and stored, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature. And, the great part is the cake is even better the day after it is baked! The whipped cream and macerated fruit can be made a few hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Then, assemble the cake, cream, and fruit right before serving.

Switch up the citrus: While lime is stunning, this cake loves other citrus like lemon (Meyer if you can get your hands on them), grapefruit, and orange.