Mediterranean Olive Oil Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup orange blossom honey
• 3 tablespoons green cardamom pods, crushed
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour or 1/2 cup semolina flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest or 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup almonds, sliced, blanched, toasted and cooled

Recipe

• 1 make the syrup at least a day ahead. when ready, bring 3 cups water, sugar, honey, and cardamom to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, and syrup is reduced to 3 1/4 cups, about 40 minutes. strain syrup, removing cardamom pods and seeds.
• 2 when ready to make the cake, first, preheat oven to 350f, then brush 9" diameter springform pan with oil.
• 3 have two medium bowls and one large bowl set aside. in the first medium bowl, whisk both flours and the baking powder, ground cardamom, salt and baking soda. mix well.
• 4 using an electric mixer with the large bowl, beat 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup oil for 1 minute. beat in yolks, then add the flour mixture. beat in yogurt, zest, and extracts.
• 5 in the other medium bowl and using clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar until firm peaks form. fold egg whites into batter just to blend, in 2 portions. transfer to prepared pan and smooth the top.
• 6 bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. pierce hot cake all over with a thin metal skewer. slowly drizzle 3/4 cup warm syrup all over. when syrup is absorbed, slowly pour 3/4 cup more syrup over. reserve remaining syrup to use during serving.
• 7 let cake cool in pan on a wire rack. run a thin knife around edge of pan to release cake. remove pan sides. sprinkle almonds over. cut into wedges and serve drizzled with more syrup.