Ingredients:

Cake:

• I cup full fat milk
• 1/2 cup limoncello or lemon juice
• 1 cup olive oil
• 3 large whole eggs
• 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate powder

Mascarpone Icing:

• 250 grams mascarpone
• 2 1/3 cups icing sugar
• 200mls (1 cup) thickened cream
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Method:

1. Pre heat oven at 180C baking setting. (if oven is fan forced pre heat at 170C) Prepare your 23cm cake tin by lining it with baking paper, lightly butter all surfaces. Add a thin layer of almond flakes to the base of the tin and dust with a light amount of plain flour.
2. Mix milk and limoncello/lemon juice and set aside
3. In a stand mixer with whisk attachment or a bowl add olive oil, eggs and caster sugar and whisk on medium low for a few minutes until incorporated. It will look pale and frothy.
4. Add vanilla bean paste and lemon zest and whisk for a few seconds.
5. Sift in flour, almond meal, baking powder and bicarbonate powder. Whisk on low until it just comes together.
6. While mixer is on low speed, drizzle in milk and limoncello mixture until batter is incorporated.
7. Pour batter into prepared tin and place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 80-90 minutes. (if your oven is fan forced then check on the cake at 70 minutes – if skewer is wet then bake in 10 minute increments until completely cooked through)
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before removing it and placing onto a wire rack to cool completely.
9. For the icing, Sift icing sugar in a stand mixer with whisk attachment (or a large bowl if using hand held beaters). Add mascarpone, cream, lemon zest and vanilla bean paste and Whisk for 3-4 minutes on medium speed or until incorporated and whipped.
10. Flip cake so that the almond flakes are on the top.
11. Lather icing over the top of the olive oil cake, cut and serve into desired portions and if you like add a little drizzle of extra olive oil.

Tips/Substitutions:

• • Keep in a covered airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, not that it will last that long.
  • To make ahead of time – bake 1-2 days ahead and add icing the day before or same day. 
  • Substitute limoncello with fresh lemon juice for a non-alcoholic version. 
  • Substitute lemon with orange for a different citrus twist. 

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