Meyer lemons are like the golden child of the citrus family, everyone oohs and aahs at its woodsy flavor and its beautifully, smooth skin. It is sweeter and less acidic than your normal lemon but is just as versatile to be used in everything from savory to sweet. I had a bunch of leftover lemons from a shoot and decided to make a meyer lemon olive oil cake(s), enough to be shared. A perfect slice of cake to be had with your afternoon coffee or tea.
Meyer Lemon Olive-Oil Cake (adapted from Gourmet magazine)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large Meyer lemon
1 cup cake flour
5 egg yolks
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Confectioner's sugar to dust
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a springform pan (I didn't have one and used regular 2, 6" cake pans) with olive oil or Pam and line with a round of parchment.
Finely grate the entire lemon and whisk with flour. Juice the lemon into a small bowl and set aside.
Beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3-4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and slowly add olive oil and lemon juice, beating until combined. Stir in the flour mixture, do not beat, until combined.
Beat egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in another large bowl (with clean whisk attachment) at medium high speed until foamy. Add 1/4 cup of sugar at a time until the egg whites hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes.
Gently fold in whites to the yolk mixture, in thirds. Transfer batter into springform pan or cake pans, rap the pans against work surface to release any air bubbles. Bake for about 45 minutes, until cake tester or wood skewer inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean. Cool cake on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes and then run a clean knife along the edge of pan. If using a springform pan, remove the side of the pan. If using regular cake pans, let it cool completely before removing from pan. Remove parchment paper from bottom and dust the top with confectioners sugar.