Lemon Cake with Novello, Mascarpone and Raspberries

Since this is the seasons for the best lemons in Italy (think Amalfi lemons, but also Sicily and other parts of Italy) we thought we would share with you a scrumptious lemon cake featuring Novello. If you have run out of Novello you can of course use our Belmorso extra virgin olive oil instead. We have reduced this recipe’s sugar content as much as possible, so this is also a healthier cake to enjoy. Let’s make it, shall we?

Ingredients

100g white sugar (feel free to use brown sugar or coconut sugar to make it even healthier) 3 eggs 100ml extra virgin olive oil Novello, or Belmorso EVO the peel of 1.5 lemons grated the juice of 3 large lemons 300 gr flour 00 1 sachet lievito vanigliato, either Bertolini or Paneangeli (this is a special baking Italian baking powder flavoured with vanilla and used just for cakes) 3/4 cup milk

For the icing

250 gr mascarpone cheese 1 cup icing sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1 cup fresh raspberries

Preparation

Start by cracking the eggs and placing them into a large bowl; add the white sugar, and beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer, starting at the lowest speed and moving to the highest.

Next add the extra virgin olive oil and beat. Follow by adding the lemon juice, and continue beating.

Now add the lievito vanigliato (i.e Italian baking powder) and continue beating. Add the flour 100 gr at a time while beating.

Add your milk and fold gently with a tablespoon. And follow by adding the lemon peel, and then fold again gently with a tablespoon.

Grease the pan for your lemon cake with some extra virgin olive oil, pour the batter, and bake for 45 minutes in a preheated oven at 165 degrees Celsius.

To make the mascarpone frosting simply add the mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl and mix. Take out your lemon cake and leave to cool completely. Then remove from the pan, and transfer to a cake tray.

Spread the mascarpone on top roughly so as to give it that homemade organic look. To get the design as ours use an icing spatula with a zig zag end and pass it through the spread mascarpone following a movement of a wave. Top with fresh raspberries; cut yourself a slice, and enjoy with a cup of tea.

Tips

Feel free to scatter some extra raspberries in your cake batter before baking. If you do, you would need to have double the amount of raspberries. You can of course replace the raspberries with strawberries, blueberries, any other berries of your choice, or a mix of berries.