Lemon olive oil cake

Though chef and Masterchef contestant Kay-Lene Tan doesn't recall the origins of this recipe, it is so memorable that one of her colleagues, sommelier Travis Howe of restaurant Tonka in Melbourne, would frequently request this cake for his birthday. "This one is for you, Trav," says Kay-Lene.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  8

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Series. Cooking. Rated PG.

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The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

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Ingredients

• Vegetable oil spray
• 300 g plain flour
• 15 g baking powder
• 300 g caster sugar
• 150 g eggs
• 250 g milk
• 250 g extra virgin olive oil
• 3 lemons, finely zested and juiced

For the lemon icing

• 240 g icing sugar, sifted
• 30 g lemon juice
• 20 g lemon zest
• 30 g milk

Cooling time: 20 minutes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Spray a loaf tin (22 cm x 12 cm) with vegetable oil spray and line with baking paper.
2. Sift the plain flour into a large bowl with the baking powder. Combine the caster sugar and eggs in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on low speed until combined, then gradually add the milk, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and zest.
3. Gradually add the sifted flour and baking powder to the mixture and mix well to combine. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 165˚C and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
4. Transfer the cake to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before icing.
5. When ready to ice, whisk the ingredients for the icing together in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour over the cooled cake, slice and serve.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.