Super moist, fragrant and delicate Vegan Almond Cake with delicious lemon and olive oil flavour. Made with almond flour, it is naturally gluten-free and vegan, and quite possibly the easiest cake you'll ever make. It's got a soft, very moist, almost pudding texture and is excellent served on its own, but also great dressed up for dessert with fresh berries, fruit compote or poached pears, and some dairy-free cream, custard or whipped vegan ricotta!
½teaspoonbaking soda(bicarbonate of soda in the UK)
1teaspoonfine sea salt, not table salt
¾ cup (180 mls)dairy-free milk, unsweetened & unflavoured
¾ cup (180mls)extra virgin olive oil, use regular olive oil if you don't enjoy the deep, grassy flavour of extra virgin, but make sure it's a good quality one with good flavour (DO NOT USE ANY OTHER TYPE OF OIL).
6 tablespoons (90mls)freshly squeezed lemon juice, add the very finely grated zest of 1 lemon too for a more pronounced lemon flavour
2tablespoonspowdered sugar, for dusting the cake once cool
INSTRUCTIONS
This cake needs to cool completely in the pan before it can be removed, so it's best to make it the day before you need it.
Place a shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 ° F (175 °C).
Grease a 9-inch cake pan with olive oil, then line the bottom with parchment paper. The oil helps the paper to stay in place. If you have a great cake pan that never sticks, you can probably get away without lining the sides as well, but if you have any doubts at all, cut a rectangular strip of parchment paper and line the sides too. I also like to carefully brush a light layer of oil over the parchment paper because this is a really sticky and delicate cake. Set the pan aside while you prepare the cake batter.
To a large mixing bowl, add the almond flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk them together well.
To another medium sized bowl or jug add the dairy-free milk, olive oil, lemon juice (and zest if using), sugar, apple cider vinegar and almond extract. Stir together really well.
Now make sure everything is ready. i.e The oven is preheated to temperature and the cake pan is lined and ready. You need to be as quick as you can to get the cake in the oven once the batter is mixed together.
Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and fold together until you can't see any dry flour. Be sure to scrape right into the bottom of the bowl so you don't miss any.
Spoon the cake batter into the prepared pan, give the pan a little shake to level the top then get it right in the oven on the middle shelf.
Bake for about 50 minutes, or until deeply golden, starting to come away from the edges of the pan, and a skewer, toothpick or thin knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. It's important not to open the oven door while the cake is cooking (until at least 40 minutes into the cook time), and it's also important not to overcook it. This cake is supposed to be puddingy and very moist inside.
Place the cake, still in its pan, on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Do not try to remove it while it's hot/warm.
When fully cooled, remove from the pan. If the sides of the pan aren't lined, first loosen the edges with a thin spatula or knife. Place a large plate upside down over the cake pan and very carefully invert the cake onto the plate. To get the cake the right way up, gently place another plate on top of the cake, then flip it over. If not, place a large plate upside down over the cake pan and very carefully invert the cake onto the plate. To get the cake the right way up, gently place another plate on top of the cake, then flip it over.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar before serving if desired.
NOTES
Storage - The great thing about this cake is that it doesn't dry out over time like most cakes do, so you can make it well in advance. Cover and store at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you want to keep it any longer or it's particularly warm in your kitchen, store it covered very well in the fridge for up to 10 days.