Lemon Olive Cake

This recipe features extra virgin olive oil, which gives this cake distinctive flavour. Not too sweet, but yet not savoury.

4 eggs, separated

0.5 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting

0.5 cup olive oil

4 heaped tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons cornflour

1 lemon, first zest grated and then juice squeezed

1) Sift flour and cornflour together into a bowl. Add grated lemon zest and mix it in.

2) Beat yolks with half the sugar until creamy and thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in olive oil and lemon juice, until just combine. It may appear separated. Stir in flour until just combined.

3) Beat egg whites with a clean whisk until soft peaks. Keep beating after that, adding rest of sugar by tablespoon, until stiff peaks.

4) Gently fold egg whites into yolk mixture and mix thoroughly but softly.

5) Pour into greased and lined baking tin (preferably springform), tap the tin few times to release any trapped air. Sprinkle extra sugar on top. Bake at 170-180C for about 30-40 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool cake in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of the tin and remove sides. Cool cake to room temperature, about an hour. Remove bottom of pan and peel off baking paper.