Olive oil cake with flat peaches and wild plums {gluten free}

Every summer, an old friend of my parents brings a a tin drum of extra virgin olive oil home from Corfu. It is simply the most delicious, vividly green olive oil I have ever tasted. It is too special to do anything with other than pour into a shallow dish, sprinkle with flakey sea salt and dip chunks of bread into.

The same is not true of every olive oil however. Lighter olive oil varieties have a delicate flavour that marries well with sweeter ingredients, such as fruits and honeys, making them perfect for baking with. Jamie's Italian have developed a handy guide to help you chose the right olive oil for your recipe.

Light olive oils and stone fruit are a match made in heaven. The soft fruits of Southern Europe are celebrated in this recipe alongside delicious light olive oil from Italy. This cake is also gluten and dairy free, and - being packed as it is with ripe summer fruits - uses only a tiny amount of sugar for sweetness.

 THE INGREDIENTS

100g light olive oil

75g golden caster sugar

2 eggs

Zest of 1 lemon

200g ground almonds

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 flat white peaches

100g wild plums

red and white currants (optional)

THE RECIPE

Heat the oven to 170°C, and line a 7" cake tin with baking paper. Slice the peaches into half moon pieces and half the wild plums, discarding the stones. Set aside.

Place the oil sugar, eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat for 5-6 minutes until the mixture is pale and frothy. Add the lemon zest, and mix through.

In a separate bowl, sieve the sound almonds, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine, then add to the wet mixture, and mix until just combined. Pour the mixture into the lined tin, and level the surface. Top with the sliced peaches and halved plums. Scatter the currants over, if using. 

Bake in the centre of the oven for 20-25 minutes, covering with foil for the last 10 minutes if the fruit starts to catch. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing. 

This post was written in affiliation with Jamie's Italian, but all views are - as always - entirely my own.