Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with parchment; grease parchment and lightly flour the pan.

Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium bowl whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt until evenly combined.

Whisk sugar and eggs: In a large bowl, whisk 1.25 cups granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons extra-fine sugar and add 3 large eggs. Whisk vigorously about 2–3 minutes until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened.

Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl whisk 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice, 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil until homogenous.

Temper and fold: Add about one-third of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and fold gently to combine. Add half the milk-yogurt-olive oil mixture and fold. Continue alternating remaining dry and wet in two additions, mixing until just combined—do not overmix.

Bake: Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth top, and bake 30–38 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into center comes out clean and top is lightly golden. If top browns too quickly, tent with foil.

Cool: Let cake cool in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then run a knife around edge, invert onto rack, remove parchment, and cool completely (at least 1 hour) before assembling with curd and crumble.

Prepare lemons: Zest 3 Meyer lemons and juice them to yield about 1/2 to 3/4 cup juice. Strain to remove seeds and pulp if desired.

Cook curd: In a medium heatproof bowl whisk together 0.75 cup sugar and 4 egg yolks until smooth and slightly lighter. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice.

Temper and thicken: Set the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie), whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and reaches about 170–175°F (it should coat the back of a spoon), 8–12 minutes. Remove from heat.

Finish with butter and strain: Whisk in 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, one tablespoon at a time, until incorporated and the curd is glossy. Add a pinch of salt. Strain curd through a fine mesh sieve into a clean jar to remove zest solids for a silky texture. Chill covered — it will continue to thicken as it cools (at least 2 hours).

Preheat oven (if using same baking time): If making crumble ahead, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Cut butter into dry: In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup flour, 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Rub or cut in 4 tablespoons cold diced butter with fingertips or a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.

Add chocolate and nuts: Stir in 3 oz finely chopped white chocolate and 2 tablespoons toasted almond slivers until evenly distributed.

Bake or chill: Spread crumble on prepared sheet and bake 10–12 minutes until set and just beginning to color; watch carefully to prevent burning. Alternatively, for a softer crumble, chill in fridge until firm. Cool completely on a rack; it will crisp as it cools.

Combine base: In a bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups whole milk, 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste and a pinch of salt until smooth.

Chill and churn (no-churn method): For best texture, chill the mixture 1 hour. Pour into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions until thickened (about 20–30 minutes). Transfer to a container and freeze at least 3 hours. If you don't have an ice cream maker, freeze in a shallow container and stir vigorously every 30 minutes for 2–3 hours to break crystals.

Layer cake and curd: If the cake dome is high you may level with a serrated knife. Place cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spoon or pipe a generous layer (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup) of chilled Meyer lemon curd over the top, spreading to the edges but leaving a small border so curd doesn't run.

Add crumble: Sprinkle a generous handful of the white chocolate crumble over the curd, pressing lightly so pieces adhere. Reserve extra crumble for serving.

Serve with gelato: Slice cake and serve each slice with a scoop of sweet milk gelato. Dust cake lightly with 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar and garnish with Meyer lemon slices or twists.

Storage: Leftover cake (without gelato) can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator 3–4 days. Lemon curd keeps up to 1 week refrigerated. Gelato keeps frozen up to 2 weeks; soften 10–15 minutes before serving.