DigiBites: Lemon – Olive Oil Cake with Limoncello Syrup And Crushed Pistachios

Happy New Year, News24/680.com readers –

Chef Charlie here, after a VERY busy holiday season – lots of hands-on cooking classes for families, company holiday parties and planning for our 2023 tour schedule. Never a dull moment here at Epicurean Exchange!

We have been producing a lot of Italian menus lately, and to keep with the theme and the season, we have been preparing this amazing Lemon-Olive Oil cake with Limoncello Syrup and Pistachio! Very popular, delicious and a family favorite.

This cake will give you the incentive to use the limoncello in your freezer, or you can make your own with my recipe:

Happy 2023 to you all and happy cooking!

– Chef Charlie

Lemon – Olive Oil Cake
with Limoncello Syrup and Crushed Pistachios

For the Cake:

Olive oil spray
7 ounces all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
7 ounces superfine sugar
Zest of 4 lemons
3 whole eggs
2 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice
4 ounces plain Greek-style yogurt
4 ounces whole milk ricotta
5 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
3/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted/salted pistachios, as garnish

For the Limoncello Syrup:
7 ounces water
3 1/2 ounces superfine sugar
1/3 cup limoncello
Zest of 1 lemon

• Heat the oven to 350° F. Prepare an 8-inch cake pan (either springform or loose bottom): place a parchment paper round in the bottom of pan. Spray the inside of the pan with olive oil spray. And then, place a 6-inch tall parchment collar around the inside of the cake pan sides. Set aside.

• Place the sifted flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, put the sugar and lemon zest. Using a hand mixer, combine well. Add the eggs and beat until the mixture is pale and doubled in size.

• Slowly add the lemon juice, yogurt, and ricotta, mixing continuously on low speed. Add the olive oil slowly in a steady stream and mix on low until incorporated.

• Fold in the flour mixture by hand and pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

• For the Lemon Syrup: Heat the water and the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the limoncello and zest and boil for 3 – 5 minutes, until very syrupy. Set aside to cool before using.

• When the cake is ready, remove from oven and make many holes in the surface with a wooden skewer. Carefully spoon the lemon syrup over the top of the cake, allowing the cake to absorb the syrup. Allow the cake to cool completely.

• Remove from the pan, cut the cake into wedges, dust with powdered sugar and garnish with chopped pistachio nuts.

Makes one 9-inch round cake

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