Lemon & Olive Oil Cake with Coconut

Post by Molly

For months, it’s been hard to know how to find balance. How to show up, stay engaged, stay angry, find hope, read, learn, listen, share, discuss, act. There’s been an inauspicious hum to each day, either front and center on our news feeds, or subtly working in the background, stoking a kind of fear and frustration that seems to permeate everything.

And yet, perpetual scrolling or attempting to read the entire Internet each day are no recipes for a sustained resistance. A few weeks ago, I spent the afternoon off my phone, watching the rain fall, and catching up with an old friend as she cradled her 10 day old baby with an effortlessness I one day hope to know.

I have no idea how these next four years will unfold. What I do know is that babies are still being born, humans are incredibly resilient, and even when the world turns upside down – there will always be hungry mouths to feed. So go on, feed them.

Makes: One loaf | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 50 minutes | Adapted from Orangette

What You Need

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ¼ cup sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
• ¾ cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup unsweetened, large coconut flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

What You Do

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt.
3. In a large bowl, rub 1 cup of the sugar with the lemon zest between your fingers, until the sugar is fragrant and yellow. Whisk in the yogurt, olive oil, and eggs. Add the flour mixture, and stir just to blend.
4. Scrape the batter into your prepared pan, and smooth the top. Sprinkle coconut flakes over the surface, and bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Watch the coconut flakes as they tend to brown quickly.
5. While the cake bakes, combine the lemon juice and remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a small saucepan, and bring it to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat, and keep the mixture warm. When the cake is done, pour the syrup over the cake, and let it soak in the lemony sugar for about 10 minutes.
6. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely before serving.