Olive Oil Cake with Peaches and Cream

SERVES 8

ESSENTIAL: A stand or hand mixer

INGREDIENTS

For the olive oil cake:

• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for preparing the pan
• 1½ cups plain flour, plus 1 tbsp for dusting
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 cup sugar, plus more for dusting and macerating
• 1 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 pounds fruit of your choice, in this case peaches, sliced Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream or Vanilla Buttercream (see below), for serving

For the vanilla bean whipped cream:

• 2 cups cold double cream
• ⅓ cup icing sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Vanilla bean buttercream:

• 1 batch of marshmallow meringue (see below)
• 4 sticks (32 tbsp) softened unsalted butter, cubed into tablespoon-size pieces

For the marshmallow meringue:

• 4 medium egg whites
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, seeds removed and reserved, or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2. PREP THE CAKE PAN: Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with olive oil, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and lightly brush the parchment with olive oil. Coat the inside of the pan with 1 tablespoon of flour, turning the pan over and tapping out any excess.
3. COMBINE THE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1½ cups of flour, the salt, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda.
4. MIX THE BATTER: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl if you plan to use a hand mixer, combine 1 cup of the sugar and the lemon zest. Use your fingers to massage the lemon zest into the sugar to bring out the oils in the lemon zest. Add the eggs and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Switch the speed to medium and slowly stream in the olive oil. Beat until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add the milk and lemon juice and beat on low until just combined.
5. COMBINE WET AND DRY: Stop the mixer and add half of the dry ingredients to the wet, and beat on low speed until most of the flour is incorporated. Stop the mixer, and add the remaining dry ingredients. Beat on low until just combined. Do not overmix or your cake will be tough.
6. BAKE THE CAKE: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
7. COOL THE CAKE: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Carefully run a paring knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the sides, remove the cake from the pan, and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Allow the cake to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving.
8. MACERATE THE FRUIT: In a large bowl, combine the fruit with a few tablespoons of sugar, more or less depending on your preference and the natural sweetness of the fruit. Toss to coat and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
9. PREPARE THE WHIPPED TOPPING: You can make either the whipped cream or the buttercream.
10. For the whipped cream, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl if you’d rather use a hand mixer, combine the cream, icing sugar, and vanilla bean paste. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the fridge until you’re ready to use. This will stay good and fluffy in the fridge for a few hours.
11. For the buttercream, prepare a batch of the marshmallow meringue according to the directions in the note below. Keep the mixer running on low speed and add in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the butter is fully incorporated and you achieve a smooth and silky consistency.
12. TO SERVE: If using the buttercream, spread it over the top of the cake and pile it high with fruit. This can be assembled and kept in the fridge or at room temperature a few hours in advance.
13. If using the whipped cream, slice the cake into eight equal pieces. Transfer to dessert plates and top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and a serving of fruit. Serve right away.

Marshmallow Meringue:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar. Whip until
2. foamy, then pause the mixer until the sugar is ready.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and 1/3 cup of water. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly, until the sugar syrup reaches 120°C.
4. Right before the sugar is done cooking, restart the mixer and beat the eggs on high. Carefully stream the sugar syrup into the mixer, pouring along the side of the bowl. Once all of the sugar has been added, continue whipping until you achieve medium to soft peaks, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the seeds from the vanilla pod once you’ve achieved your desired consistency. Turn off the mixer and use a blowtorch to toast the meringue in the bowl. Mix and repeat about 3 times. This will incorporate the toasted marshmallow flavour throughout. If you don’t have a blowtorch, you can skip this step.
5. Meringue can be used right away or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

TIP

While the whipped cream is easy and delicious, the buttercream is much more stable in hot and humid temperatures. So, if you’re serving this on a hot summer day or assembling it in advance, I highly suggest opting for the buttercream.