Issue #109: Summer Snacking Cake, Olive-Oil Edition

A Dairy-Free (Pareve) Dessert that Takes Advantage of the Season without Compromising on Taste

Greetings folks. I hope your summers are shaping up to be restorative and delicious and that you had a happy 4th of July or Canada Day, if you celebrate. My travel schedule has gone domestic, but has not slowed down, having been in Maine and moving on to New Hampshire. This time of year, as long as I’m near a farmers’ market and a kitchen, I’m happy.

I want to thank all of you who took advantage of the special promotion marking my 100th issue milestone. Your support is much appreciated. I know there are more of you who signed up for the reduced annual subscription rate than there are signed copies of my Kitchen Sense cookbook sent. So, if you are wondering why you haven’t received your book, please be sure to click on the link to the registration form in your confirmation email so you can provide me with your mailing address. All orders have otherwise been filled. 🙏—Mitchell

We were with friends in Maine over July 4^th weekend, some of whom keep kosher. A little advance planning and a directional shift toward cuisines that don’t rely too heavily on melted cheese means there’s no need to compromise on gastronomic satisfaction while adhering to the laws of kashrut (depending, of course, on one’s degree of observance). Without opting for vegan, the key to kosher culinary success is ordering some well-raised kosher meat. We sourced via mail order from Grow & Behold, and once the package arrived, we made a large batch of kosher chicken stock to have on hand.

Just back from Spain, I promised to produce a paella Valenciana using kosher chicken and some of that kosher stock (see last week’s newsletter for the recipe). A traditional paella burner provided by a Spanish colleague of our hosts was fun to use in the backyard. I felt like a real Valenciano.

But when it comes to dessert, the kosher options become more limited. The proscription against combining milk with meat means that butter, cream, yogurt, or other dairy products cannot be consumed immediately after dinner, either. That means all-shortening pie crusts or vegan substitutes for milk, neither of which generally produce satisfying results #imho. I’m always looking for recipes for dairy-free cakes that don’t compromise on flavor or texture, which is how I stumbled on this delicious, summery snacking cake.

This olive-oil cake is perfect for summer fruit in its peak, especially peaches or apricots. The recipe was first adapted by Food & Wine magazine from one that Austin-based chef Kirsten Kish cooked on Top Chef. I’ve tweaked it slightly again myself, reducing the sugar and using different combinations of fruit and flavorings. The cake has a relatively high proportion of olive oil, which keeps it moist and behooves you to use a mild, high-quality, extra-virgin oil, such as any from northern Italy, Spain, Israel, or California.

We brought some perfectly ripe white peaches from New Jersey with us to Maine that played the lead role in this cake. We served it with a fresh strawberry sauce on the side because the berries at Beth’s Farm Market in Warren, Maine, are great right now. And because not everyone at our table keeps kosher, we also whipped some of Beth’s amazing unpasteurized heavy cream. Nate and a few others at the table all had seconds, which, considering it isn’t chocolate, should be enough to encourage you to bake this cake immediately.

RECIPE: Summery Snacking Cake

(Serves 10 to 14)

• 3 large, ripe peaches or 6 large, ripe apricots (about 1 pound), unpeeled, pits removed, thinly sliced

• 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3 large eggs

• ½ teaspoon vanilla paste

• ½ teaspoon almond extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease a 9” by 13” baking pan with vegetable oil spray. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the sliced peaches or apricots with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt. Let stand at least 15 minutes, until the juices run off.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs with the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar and the 1 1/4 cups of olive oil until blended. Beat in the vanilla paste and almond extract. Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and whisk until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the peaches or apricots along with their juices. With the spatula, scrape the batter into the greased pan and even out the surface. It will look shallow, but it will rise. Bake for 35 minutes, until the batter has risen and browned, and the surface is firm to the touch. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Let cool for at least an hour in the pan on a rack, then dust with powdered sugar, slice, and serve.

VARIATIONS

• In addition to or instead of peaches or apricots, you could use fresh raspberries or blueberries.

• A teaspoon of dried lavender or fennel pollen (which Kirsten Kish used in her original on TV) are welcome flavor enhancements. Add it to the macerating fruit.

• Before baking, you could also top the cake with a sprinkle of sliced almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Let me know in the chat how your experimentation goes.