When my neighbor brought over a beautiful Persian lemon for me to cook with (that he grew himself!) the first recipe that popped into my head was for an olive oil lemon cake. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s delicious. Light, fruity and so lemony! I put an extra healthy twist on mine by using whole wheat pastry flour (make sure it’s pastry flour or it will be too heavy), cutting back on the sugar and omitting the traditional sugary frosting…trust me (and the kids) you won’t miss it!

Olive Oil Lemon Cake

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of kosher salt
zest of 1 large lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
2/3 cup organic sugar
3 large organic eggs, preferably free-range
1/2 cup fruity olive oil

For the syrup:

1/4 cup organic powdered sugar
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grease a 9-inch spring form pan with olive oil, and flour the bottom of the pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, lemon peel and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, eggs and olive oil. Whisk well to combine. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk again to combine. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Make sure not to over-bake.

While the cake is baking, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until all of the sugar is dissolved.

After removing the cake from the oven, prick it all over with a toothpick or a fork and then slowly drizzle the syrup over the cake and let it seep into the holes. Let the cake cook for about 15-20 minutes then remove the sides of the pan and enjoy…the kids loved it!

When life gives you lemons…part 2