Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

INGREDIENTS
Makes: 8-12 slices

• 150 millilitres regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)
• 50 grams good-quality cocoa powder (sifted)
• 125 millilitres boiling water
• 2 teaspoons best vanilla extract
• 150 grams ground almonds (or 125g plain flour / 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour)
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 pinch of salt
• 200 grams caster sugar
• 3 large eggs

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C/gas mark 3/325ºF. Grease a 22 or 23 cm/ 9inch springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment.
2. Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl or jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.
3. In another smallish bowl, combine the ground almonds (or flour) with the bicarbonate of soda and pinch of salt.
4. Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.
5. Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the ground almond (or flour) mixture.
6. Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula, then pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.
7. Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some ice cream, as a pudding.

not mine.credit and owner: NIGELLA

FLOURLESS PISTACHIO CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY MERINGUE

PHOTO BY CHELSEA KYLE, FOOD STYLING BY ANNA STOCKWELL

YIELD: Serves 10-12

ACTIVE TIME: 1 hour

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

• Vegetable oil, for cake pan
• 1 1/2 cups shelled unsalted pistachios (8 ounces)
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 5 egg whites, at room temperature

For meringue topping:

• 1 1/3 cups freeze-dried strawberries (1.2-ounce package)
• 5 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 cup almond flour (4 ounces)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon potato starch

Special Equipment:

• 9-inch springform pan

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly brush a 9-inch springform pan with oil and line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Brush parchment with oil and set pan aside.

In a food processor, pulse pistachios with 1/4 cup sugar until finely ground (avoid overgrinding); set aside.

In two large bowls, separate eggs into yolks and whites, discarding the sixth egg white. Add 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, salt, and cardamom to bowl with egg yolks and beat using an electric mixer until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Set egg yolk mixture aside and thoroughly clean and dry the beaters.

Add a pinch of salt to the bowl with the egg whites and beat using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Add half of the whipped egg whites and all of the ground pistachios to the egg yolk mixture and fold until combined. Add the remaining egg whites and fold until batter is just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake until beginning to brown and just barely set, 20-25 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the meringue topping: In a food processor, process strawberries into a fine powder; set aside 1 Tbsp. strawberry powder for garnish and transfer remainder to a medium bowl. Whisk in almond flour and potato starch.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and vinegar until soft peaks form, then gradually beat in the sugar and and continue to whip until meringue is stiff and glossy and all the sugar has dissolved, 7-8 minutes. Gently fold almond mixture into meringue until just combined.

Remove cake from oven. Using an offset spatula or table knife, spread meringue mixture evenly over hot cake, starting from the outside and working your way into the center. Return cake to oven and bake until meringue is lightly browned and crisp, 25-30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool, and immediately run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Release and remove the side of the springform pan. Let cake cool at least 30 minutes before decorating.

To decorate the cake, place the reserved strawberry powder in a fine-mesh sieve and dust over cake as desired.

do ahead:

Cake can be made up to one day before serving: cool to room temperature, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and store at room temperature.

Cooks' Note:

Look for freeze-dried strawberries in the dried fruit aisle of your local health-food or specialty food store.

not mine.credit and source: EPICURIOUS