Kumquat Olive Oil Cake

kumquats_on_tree.jpgKumquats are an adorable, gem-like fruit that resembles an orange – if an orange and an olive had a love child. The tiny fruits are about the size of a large olive, and the peel is edible – in fact, in most species the peel has the sweet flavor while the meat of the fruit is sour and tangy! Because citrus is typically a cold-weather fruit, and it’s winter up here in the States, I’ve been having major cake envy over the orange and citrus-inspired cakes I’ve been seeing on Instagram. So I decided to make this variation of an Italian citrus olive oil cake using the kumquats I got in my local produce delivery a little while back.

Kumquat Olive Oil Cake with Coconut Vanilla Glaze

Make 8-12 servings

Cake

olive oil, for oiling the pan

2 cups kumquats, very thinly sliced (I used my mandolin slicer for these)

 

½ c coconut flour

¼ c arrowroot starch

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

 

4 eggs

2 tbsp applesauce

½ c olive oil

⅓ c honey syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Zest of 1 small orange, 1-2 tsp

1 Tbsp + 2 tsp lemon juice

 

Glaze

3/4 cup full fat coconut milk

1 Tbsp arrowroot starch

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1/8 tsp powdered vanilla bean

 

Prepare the cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Oil an 8-inch cake pan with olive oil and line the bottom with parchment paper. Oil the parchment paper with more oil (to keep the fruit from sticking), and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl combine the coconut flour, arrowroot starch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, applesauce, olive oil, honey, vanilla, orange zest, and lemon juice.
  4. Add the coconut flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk until combined. The batter will be lumpy, so let it sit for a few minutes while you do the next step.
  5. Arrange the sliced kumquats in an even layer in the prepared cake pan. Create a second layer filling in the gaps of the first layer, so the bottom of the pan is completely covered in fruit.
  6. Give the batter another good stir to get the lumps out and gently pour the batter over the kumquat slices, trying not to disturb them
  7. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Allow the cake to cool a few minutes in the pan before running a knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Turn the cake onto a wire rack to finish cooling, then gently transfer to a plate to slice and serve.

Prepare the glaze:

  1. While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze.
  2. Combine the arrowroot starch and 2 tablespoons of coconut milk into a small bowl and whisk to make a slurry.
  3. Heat the remaining coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla in a small saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the slurry to the coconut milk in the saucepan and whisk constantly until the glaze begins to thicken.
  4. When the glaze begins to thicken remove it from the heat and continue to whisk it another 2-3 minutes.
  5. Allow the glaze to cool before spooning it over the cake to serve. Enjoy!