Apple and Olive Oil Cake and a Giveaway!

I’ve had a lot of reasons to be grateful for this year, but one of the things I’m most thankful for is that so many of you have stuck with me during long absences while I completed my first cookbook.  It’s been equal parts exhilarating and exhausting, and I can’t wait to share the details with all of you over the next few months as it starts coming together.

As a small thank you and to start off much needed holidays, I’m hosting a giveaway by the Chilean olive-oil company Olisur.  Set in the Colchagua Valley, I wrote about their olive oils a few years ago and was swayed by their estate grown, sustainable operation – coaxing olives from trees and re-purposing the pulp and nuts for organic fertilizer and even energy for the plantation.

The first time around, I made galleticas de ají and empanadas.  This time I wanted to try the sweeter side and use their fruitier O-Live & Co variety to make cake – specifically the apple and olive oil cake from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.  Looking for something comforting but not heavy to have during the short, wintry days before heading home, I omitted the maple frosting and sprinkled it with confectioner’s sugar instead.  Next time, for dessert, I may split the difference and serve it with maple whipped cream to have a little bit of both.

Olisur is giving away an O-Live & Co. gift basket ($30 value) to one reader.  Click here to enter beginning today, December 2 at 12:00AM to December 9 at 12:00AM.  Multiple entries are accepted so follow the prompts to increase your chances!

Apple and Olive Oil Cake
Barely adapted from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.  I baked it in a single layer as a breakfast and tea cake which brought down the baking time.  As promised, the flavors developed over time so it keeps well over 2 to 3 days.

½ cup dark raisins
4 tablespoon water
2¼ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
½ cup olive oil
¾ cup superfine sugar
½ vanilla bean
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 free-range egg whites
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325º F.  Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with canola oil or cooking spray and set aside.

Combine the raisins and water in a small saucepan over low heat and simmer until all the water is absorbed.  Set aside to cool.  Sift together the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and set aside.

Combine the oil and superfine sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Slit the vanilla bean and scape the seeds into the bowl.  Beat the oil, sugar, and vanilla together over medium speed, about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Stir in the apples, raisins, and lemon zest then gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl, either by hand or with a mixer, until they until soft peaks form.  Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter in 2 additions, trying to maintain as much air as possible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level it with an icing spatula.  Place in the oven and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the plan.

Disclosure: I received a small amount of product to sample in advance but was not paid to host this giveaway and the opinions expressed are my own.