Brown Butter Olive Cake (Print View)

Citrus-filled olive cake topped with a rich, nutty brown butter frosting. Perfectly tender and flavorful.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
02 - 250 grams plain flour
03 - 200 grams olive oil
04 - 145 grams sour cream
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
06 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
07 - 300 grams white sugar
08 - 1.5 lemons, grated for zest
09 - 1 orange, grated for zest
10 - 5 grams fine salt
11 - 5 large eggs

→ Brown Butter Frosting

12 - 228 grams salted butter
13 - 450 grams icing sugar
14 - 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
15 - 2-4 tablespoons whipping cream

# Directions:

01 - Set your oven to 180°C (350°F) and make sure the rack is positioned in the middle.
02 - Grab a large bowl and mix 300 grams of sugar with the zest from an orange and 1.5 lemons. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until it’s all blended and clumpy with citrus oils released.
03 - Take the citrus sugar and add olive oil, sour cream, salt, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk quickly for 2 minutes until it looks fluffy and airy.
04 - Sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Use a flat spatula to gently mix just until it's blended. Expect lumps—it’s from the airy batter.
05 - Butter a 23cm (9-inch) round cake tin. If using a non-stick springform pan, you might not need to grease it.
06 - Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Then, give it a 180-degree turn and continue baking another 20-30 minutes till a skewer in the middle comes out dry.
07 - Take the cake out and cool for no less than 15 minutes before removing the pan. Then let it sit on a rack till it’s completely cool before adding frosting.
08 - While the baking happens, slowly melt butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Stir every so often until the milk solids turn golden brown and it smells nutty.
09 - Pour the browned butter into a heat-safe bowl. Let it sit to cool at room temperature. If needed, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes—stir occasionally so it’s soft but not runny.
10 - Sift icing sugar into the cooled butter. Add vanilla and whip with a mixer until smooth and fluffy. Slowly pour in cream, one spoonful at a time, until spreadable.
11 - Once the cake is chilled, spread the frosting on top. Use a spoon for a textured look or a spatula for a neat finish.
12 - Refrigerate the cake once frosted. For leftovers, store in a sealed container in the fridge.

# Notes:

01 - Bake the cake ahead and refrigerate—it’s better the next day.
02 - If frosting feels firm, add cream. If loose, mix in more powdered sugar.
03 - The olive oil adds moisture plus a light fruity taste that pairs perfectly with the citrus.

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