Dairy-Free Lemon 'Whip' Cake

Lemon Whip Cake with Dairy-Free Lemon Curd - Diversivore.com

Dairy-Free Lemon 'Whip' Cake

A delicious and ultra-simple dairy-free cake made with a mix of old-school and new-school baking tricks. The cake uses egg whites, while the lemon curd topping/filling uses yolks, making for a great no-waste recipe.

Note that this recipe uses approximately 6 fresh lemons, though you may need more or less depending on how much juice they yield.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Miscellaneous

Keyword dairy-free cake, lemon olive oil cake

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 45

Servings servings

Calories 438kcal

Ingredients

Cake

4 large egg whites at room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil (see note)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 cups granulated sugar
2.5 cups all-purpose flour or cake flour, sifted (see note)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 cup ice water

Olive Oil Lemon Curd

4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
3/4 cup lemon juice
1.5 tbsp lemon zest
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch salt
1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

Cake

Line two 8 inch cake pans with a circle of parchment paper. Grease the sides with a little oil.
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and position the racks so that the cakes will sit in the middle.
Combine the egg whites and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer, then whip to stiff peaks. Set aside.
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vanilla, and sugar. Whip/whisk for about 2 minutes, or until thick and somewhat foamy/airy.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and lemon zest together.
Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer (or hand beaters) at low speed, gently mix approximately 1/3 of the flour mixture into the whipped oil and sugar. Add 1/3 of the ice water, and continue to mix. Repeat with remaining flour and water, stopping when the ingredients are just barely mixed. The resulting batter should be fairly thick, but still liquid enough to pour.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites by hand into the batter mixture, a little at a time. Work gently to avoid deflating the mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then gently invert the cakes onto cooling racks and set them aside.
Once the cakes have cooled, trim the tops (and sides, if you like) so they're flat. Cover one layer of the cake with the finished/cooled curd, then top with the second layer and more curd. Cover and chill for 1 hour, then serve.

Olive Oil Lemon Curd (High Speed Blender Method)

Combine all the lemon curd ingredients in a high speed blender (e.g. a Vitamix) and mix at full speed for 5 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes, then remove the lid and allow the lemon curd to cool.

Olive Oil Lemon Curd (Stovetop Method)

Prepare a double-boiler, or a medium-sized heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, sugar, and salt together in small bowl.
Place the oil/lemon/sugar mixture in the double boiler. Whisk in the eggs. Heat over a low flame, stirring continuously, until the curd has thickened and set (around 12-15 minutes). When finished remove from heat and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Notes

Cake Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour - Cake flour is made from 'soft' (low-gluten) wheat varieties. The lower gluten content makes for a softer, finer crumb. All-purpose flours are generally a little higher in gluten content, but not as high as bread flour (though this can vary quite a bit). I had no issues with all-purpose flour, but if you find that the cake is a bit tougher or chewier than you like, consider seeking out cake flour instead.

Olive Oil - Extra virgin olive oil will contribute a fruity, somewhat grassy flavour and aroma to both the cake and the lemon curd. If you like olive oil (and I do), feel free to use extra virgin. That being said, make sure to use an olive oil you know and like - ideally one with a fruitier flavour profile. If you'd rather the olive oil not be noticeable in the final cake, use regular/virgin olive oil, or another light/neutral oil like canola, avocado, or grapeseed.

Lemon Curd Quantity - The recipe above makes more lemon curd than you're likely to need for the cake. That being said, it's easier just to use up the yolks from the cake recipe, and to keep the excess lemon curd in the fridge for later. It keeps very well in the fridge for 2+ weeks.

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