Pistachio & Honey Olive Oil Cake with Plum Compote

Author: Jason Frey

Photographer: Phoebe Fingold

Slice of Pistachio & Honey Olive Oil Cake

Plum season is almost upon us! To take advantage, I have developed a dessert recipe that utilizes the combined sweetness and tartness of plums to elevate an olive oil cake. There are two twists on this otherwise standard olive oil cake. First, the batter is made with pistachios and honey. I love pistachios but do not find them much in desserts, and an olive oil cake is the perfect venue to handle their slight saltiness, while the honey improves the moistness of the cake and complements the pistachio. Second, the plum compote topping might be a surprising pairing to the pistachio, but they work well together because the cake mellows the nuttiness and acts as a medium for the flavors to meld.

You might wonder—what separates olive oil cakes from traditional butter-based cakes? Generally, the processes of making the cake batters are not one-to-one. You cannot just substitute olive oil for butter in a recipe that uses the latter as the fat. If you do, you will get a greasy and poorly-combined baked good. Typically, butter is creamed with sugar and eggs to aerate the mixture and facilitate leavening. To get the same effect with olive oil, it is necessary to first cream the eggs and sugar for aeration and then beat the mixture while slowly streaming in olive oil to create an emulsion that evenly distributes the oil. Only then, once the olive oil is stable in the batter, can you add in a leavening agent. In this recipe, the leavening agent is whipped egg whites. In this case, the fat in the recipe is olive oil, so it is unsaturated and stays liquid at room temperature, as opposed to the saturated fat of butter, which stays solid at room temperature. For this reason, olive oil as the fat can result in a moister crumb that is not as crumbly as a butter-based cake and can mature in flavor, which tends to be a bit more nutty and subtle, and does not overpower the additions. That is why I decided to pair it with a more savory ingredient like pistachios. The plum compote then balances it; you get a juicy topping that adds a layer to the strength of flavor that the olive oil imparts to the cake. Peaches would likely be tasty as well, but I like the soft, slight tartness of the plums over the direct sweetness of peaches for this dish.

The base of the cake batter is inspired by the recipe, “Pear Cake with Sweet Wine and Olive Oil,” by Marian Burros.

Equipment

  • Electric mixer

  • Double boiler

  • Food processor/blender

  • 8 or 9 inch springform pan

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 5 eggs, separated, and 2 additional egg whites

  • Scant ¾ cup superfine sugar (you can substitute for granulated sugar or blend the granulated sugar more finely)

  • 1 tbsp lemon zest

  • 1 cup AP flour

  • Generous pinch of salt

  • ½ cup pure apple juice

  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3–4 tbsp honey

  • ¾ cup shelled pistachios

  • 1 tsp cardamom (optional)

For the compote:

  • 5–6 ripe black plums

  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

  • 1.5 tbsp unsalted butter

  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

  • ⅓ cup pure apple juice

Instructions

For the cake:

  1. Move rack to bottom third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

  2. Butter the springform pan, line the bottom with wax or parchment paper, and butter the top of the paper.

  3. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a mixing bowl or double boiler over gently boiling water, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is smoother and less viscous.

  4. Remove from heat and beat the yolk mixture with an electric mixer until it is pale, thick, and forms more of a ribbon as it falls off the beaters. This will take a few minutes. Fold in the lemon zest.

  5. Slowly add the flour and salt to the yolk mixture while beating constantly. If using cardamom, add it here. Add in the apple juice. Slowly add in the honey. Then, slowly stream in the olive oil, while still beating constantly, until it is fully incorporated. Set this mixture aside.

  6. If using a stand mixer, place the yolk mixture in a separate bowl and wash out the mixer bowl and beater attachment completely. If using a hand mixer, get a clean bowl. Beat all the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry. They should form a medium to stiff peak when picked up on the back of a spoon. 

  7. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. If your egg whites will not stiffen for some reason, try adding a splash of lemon juice. If they still will not stiffen, whip them for a few minutes, then add them to the batter with 1.5 tsp baking powder. Only do this if they will absolutely not stiffen.

  8. Add the pistachios into a food processor until they are finely processed. Fold them into the batter.

  9. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 15-20 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Cut Plums

For the compote:

  1. While the cake is in the oven, prepare the plums. Core and cut them into ½-inch thick  wedges or half-wedges.

  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar until it dissolves. Add the plums and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Pour in the apple juice and cook until the plums are soft and the juices have rendered into a syrupy consistency. Add more juice if necessary.

  3. Top the cake with the compote and enjoy.

Honey Cake

Conclusions

The plums taste so bright and fresh that the compote is the perfect pairing for the cake. You may even want to make a double batch! I like to top it with an extra drizzle of honey, and if I am feeling indulgent, I will pair it with some creamy vanilla ice cream. Alternatively, maple syrup as its own topping is great, too. This is one of those recipes that is convenient to have on hand for guests (or for yourself) because it has a fairly long counter-life due to the olive oil base. You could also try pairing it with a different compote altogether. Happy cooking and happy eating!

ReviewsMelanie WangComment