Copycat Flower Child Olive Oil Lemon Cakes
These moist, fluffy bursts of lemon taste just like the original!
Ingredients
For the cakes:
- 3 whole eggs
- 1 1/3 cups evaporated cane sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp vanilla paste (vanilla extract may also be used; I prefer the richer taste of the paste in this recipe)
- 4 tsp lemon zest from about 2 lemons, preferably organic
- 3 1/2 tbsp lemon juice freshly juiced and strained
- 6 1/2 ounces coconut milk I have used both canned coconut milk and the boxed variety for drinking - both worked
- 2 cups gluten-free flour or flour of your choice – I tested with King Arthur GF Measure for Measure
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice freshly juiced and strained
- 1/2 tbsp coconut milk if needed to thin
Instructions
DIRECTIONS for cakes:
- Prepare 6-8 jumbo popover tins. (You can also use jumbo muffin tins, or 12 regular muffin tins.) Lightly grease with olive oil. Do this BEFORE you start mixing your ingredients. You want to get those little cakes baking ASAP once the batter is mixed, or it messes with the texture.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer or with a hand mixer, combine eggs and sugar. Whip for approximately 3-5 minutes, or until fluffy – it should increase in volume.3 whole eggs, 1 1/3 cups evaporated cane sugar
- Add vanilla paste, zest, juice, and coconut milk. Mix gently to combine, using mixer or with a spatula, by hand.1 1/4 tsp vanilla paste, 4 tsp lemon zest, 3 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, 6 1/2 ounces coconut milk
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, soda, and powder together.2 cups gluten-free flour, 3/4 tsp kosher salt, 3/4 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder
- Gently fold flour mixture into wet ingredients by hand, just until fully incorporated.
- Fold in olive oil by hand. It will take a few minutes for the oil to evenly distribute so that none is visible on top of the batter. Be patient, persistent, and gentle to achieve a uniform consistency. Don’t be overzealous here; this is not the time to beat it to death.1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Immediately spoon or pour the batter into the prepared tins, filling no more than 2/3 full or they will overflow and you’ll have to clean your oven. If you have tins that are solitary units (as some popover tins are), placing them on a cookie sheet will make transfer in and out of the over a whole lot easier. If they are connected, like a standard muffin pan, no need to do this unless you want some extra protection in case of overflow.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 13 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake an additional 13-15 minutes. Cakes are done when the tops spring back when lightly touched. They should be light golden brown. If your cake tops are burning before they fully bake, give them a foil tent for protection.
- Cool completely before unmolding from the pans.
Directions for glaze:
- Place powdered sugar in a small shallow and wide bowl (this facilitates dipping your cakes).1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Add the lemon juice and stir until smooth.1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- If the consistency is not thin enough to glaze your cakes, either add coconut milk, 1 tsp. at a time, or additional lemon juice, also 1 tsp. at a time, to achieve the consistency you want. I like mine thick enough to really stick, but liquid enough to dip my cake tops in the bowl and get even coverage.1/2 tbsp coconut milk
- Apply the glaze to the cakes which have been released from their pans. You can set them on a cooling rack over a baking sheet to minimize mess and glaze pooling on the bottoms of the cakes, if you'd like. Either spoon the glaze over the tops of the cakes, or dip the cake tops in the bowl of glaze, tilting the cakes until the tops are evenly covered, then set them on the rack to dry.
Notes
If you've ever eaten at Flower Child (which I highly recommend, BTW), I hope you were able to try their Olive Oil Lemon Cake. My mouth waters just thinking about it. I found a recipe for it online, but it just wouldn't work for me as it was written. I made several major modifications until I settled on this recipe, which looks, tastes, and mouth-feels just like the original. For those with dietary restrictions, get excited: this is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and low-FODMAP. Let the celebration begin!