Lemon Olive Oil Cakes with Mixed Berry Sauce

This slightly-sweet recipe for mini Lemon Olive Oil Cakes with Mixed Berry Sauce sounds like a decadent dessert, but it’s made with extra virgin olive oil versus butter and a moderate amount of sugar, so the saturated fat and added sugar isn’t too ridiculous!

I started blogging 10 years ago at Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen. That site was recently retired, and Liz’s Healthy Table was born. For the past six years, I’ve been part of a monthly food blogger cooking group called, The Recipe Redux. Well today, participating bloggers are celebrating their 6th birthday with cake or another small bite dessert. For my part, I decided to make these little lemon cakes, baked up simply in muffin tins.

I don’t tend to use a lot of butter in my cooking, because it’s high in unhealthy saturated fat. So I often experiment with plant-based oils like extra virgin olive oil and organic canola oil. The rule of thumb when it comes to substituting a solid fat like butter with a liquid fat like olive oil is 1 cup solid fat to 3/4 cup liquid fat. I’ll admit that I’m not an expert in baking science, which is why I really just play around until I get it right.

The recipe calls for just half a cup of sugar, extra virgin olive oil instead of butter, and a mixed berry sauce thickened with chia seeds. It’s slightly sweet, has a lovely lemony flavor, and can do double duty as a dessert or a snack.

If you don’t have chia seeds, use a teaspoon or two of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Lemon Olive Oil Cakes with Mixed Berry Sauce

Recipe type: Dessert

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When I cook and bake, I gravitate to oils like EVOO. Plant-based oils are low in saturated fat and they're rich in healthy monounsaturated fats. Even though extra virgin olive oil tends to have a stronger flavor than say organic canola oil, it doesn't come through on these cakes. What you taste in every bite is the lemon zest and lemon juice. The cakes are slightly sweet with a nice lemony zing. And the berry sauce on top adds another lovey layer of fruity flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup 1% low-fat milk
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar, optional
• Mixed Berry Sauce
• 2 cups frozen mixed berries
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoon chia seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Whisk together the two flours, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined. Whisk in the yogurt, oil, milk, zest, juice, and vanilla until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake about 18 minutes, or until the cakes are light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cakes and cool an additional 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar as desired just before serving
6. While the cakes are baking, make the sauce by placing the frozen berries, water, lemon juice, sugar, and chia seeds in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool about 10 minutes. Transfer to a small food processor or blender and pulse several times until pureed. Transfer to a bowl and serve warm or at room temperature with the cakes.

3.5.3226