Steamed Lemon Olive Oil Cake

April 26, 2023

A steamed version of this classic Sicilian cake yields a tender, moist crumb and light lemon flavor. Perfect for the warm days to come when you crave a sweet treat but can’t bear to light the oven.

Makes 8-10 servings

Ingredient List:

  • 1 1/4 cup Super Sprout Whole Wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 cup finely ground almond meal or flour
  • 1/4 cup semolina flour
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon powdered vanilla (or pure vanilla extract)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 servings egg replacer ( I use Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup (approx ) spring or filtered water

Step By Step Instructions:

Lightly oil a 9-inch round baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment to fit the pan bottom and lightly oil the parchment. Set aside.

Make a thick coil of aluminum foil that is about 18-inches long. Lay the coil around the inside perimeter of a large Dutch oven (that your cake pan will fit into). Add water to half cover the coil. Set aside.

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients, except water and begin mixing slowly. Add water to create a thick, smooth, pourable batter. 

Pour into prepared pan and use a wooden spoon to lightly make sure the batter is spread evenly in the pan. Place the pan carefully on the coil of foil; cover the pan and place over high heat. When the water boils (listen for the boil. do not take the cover off), reduce the heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn off the heat but do not remove the lid yet.

After 10 minutes, remove the lid and carefully remove the cake pan from the pot. I use tongs. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before turning onto a serving plate or simply cut wedges of cake in the pan, which is what I do when the lemon perfume fills my kitchen and I can’t wait.

Cook’s tip: Freeze lemons and when a recipe calls for lemon juice and/or zest, simply grate the frozen lemon, zest to flesh in the same amount for great flavor.