Apricot Almond Olive Oil Cake (Dairy-Free)

Even as a butter devotee, I’ll admit olive oil is an essential in your baking pantry – because olive oil simply makes outstandingly good cakes. It lends a rich moisture to the crumb (that develops further with time) and a distinct herbaceous aroma, only true to olive oil.

Olive oil cakes are deeply anchored in Mediterranean baking traditions, and France is no exception. I actually remember one of the first cakes I ever made on my own as a child, being a simple olive oil cake with orange zest. It was easy to achieve and resulted in a delicious, simple cake, with big flavors. And still today, I definitely think a good olive oil cake is a must in one’s baking repertoire. 

Beyond traditions and big flavours, olive oil cakes are possibly so popular because of their versatility and countless variations – which makes it easy to make one for every season. For winter, I would go for a chocolate olive oil cake (a recipe I still have to share on this blog). But today, in the midst of Summer and on the verge of stonefruit season, I opted for Apricots as the perfect jewels to shine in this simple cake. I also used almond milk (instead of yogurt, which is often used in French recipes) for the cake to remain dairy-free.

The herbacious aroma of the olive oil melds beautifully with the eartiness of the ground almonds and sweetness of the apricots. The crumb is tender and moist, adorned with a slightly crackling top.

Simple and etheral, it is a perfect cake for warm-weather gatherings. I topped mine with crushed pistachios, but a dusting of powdered sugar would have been great too.

Cooking notes:

• The fruits – This dairy-free Olive oil cake is versatile and can be adapted in many ways. It works amazingly with apricots, with any other stone fruits (ie. peaches or plums) and any other fruits really (ie. apples or pears). Use fresh fruits only – no canned or frozen fruits, as they would release too much liquid, which the cake’s delicate crumb won’t be able to cope with.
• The Olive Oil – Using a good quality Olive Oil will give you greater results for this recipe (even though I realize not everybody can afford using premium olive oil on a daily basis). You can opt for Extra Virgin Olive Oil for big fruity notes or Olive Oil for a lighter taste.

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 60 Minutes 60 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.8/5

( 6 voted )

Ingredients

3/4 cup (150 g) sugar (+ 1 tbsp, for topping)
Zest of 1/2 lemon
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (190 ml) almond milk (or cashew/coconut milk)
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil, plus more for pan
1 tbsp almond extract
1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (75g) almond flour
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Large pinch of sea salt
6 apricots, halved and pit removed

2 tbsp finely chopped pistachios, for topping
Powdered sugar, for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Line a 9-inch cake pan with a circle of parchment paper at the bottom and brush sides and bottom with a bit of olive oil.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and zest together with your fingers, until the sugar feels moist. Whisk in the eggs, almond milk, olive oil and almond extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the liquids into the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Top the cake with the halved apricots – make a pattern by arranging the fruits shoulder to shoulder, in a circular motion and overlapping slightly (insides facing up). Sprinkle the top of the cake with the 1 tbsp of sugar and 1 tablespoon of chopped pistachios.

Bake the cake for 55-60 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. Once cooled, cover with the chopped pistachios and a dusting of powdered sugar.

If you try this Apricot Almond Olive Oil Cake recipe let me know! Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram.

Bon Appétit!