Blueberry Cornmeal Olive Oil Cake
This rich, deeply flavored loaf cake is packed with dried blueberries and delivers a toothsome bite from the use of stone ground cornmeal. Buttermilk and olive oil help keep it fresh for days, making it a great make-ahead option for brunch or tea time.
I love olive oil cakes.
There is no denying that there is something so elegant, so enticing about the moist, dense crumb that a good olive oil cake offers. After all, not too long ago I shared this Pear & Almond Olive Oil Cake, a fan favorite. Olive oil cakes offer a great excuse to use a nice bottle of olive oil, something with a punchy, fruity, maybe even peppery flavor that you love. If you have good olive oil, it’s best to use it and enjoy it! It’s not a product that benefits from aging—fresh olive oil is best, and this cake really highlights it’s flavor.
Cornmeal adds texture.
This cake is a cross between a cornbread and a loaf cake texture thanks to the addition of stone ground cornmeal. Though some corn-based baked goods can be dry, the olive oil plus the addition of buttermilk, an acidifying liquid, helps keep the cake tender.
Blueberries for sweetness, lemon zest for brightness.
I like to use dried blueberries because they’re lightly sweetened, and they don’t add too much extra moisture to the cake which can lead to uneven baking. Fresh blueberries can be substituted, but I would suggest cooking them down for a few minutes to reduce some of their moisture. Frozen blueberries can also be used; drain them well and pat dry before adding them to the batter.
The batter also has a nice dose of lemon zest, which adds a brightness that is really lovely. Feel free to substitute orange zest instead if you prefer! You can do the same in the glaze.
Let’s glaze it.
This simple glaze is made of three ingredients and is incredibly easy to put together. Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, and hot water until smooth and pourable—that’s it! I like to pour it over the cake while still on the parchment paper, scrape up the bits that run down before they dry, and give the cake a nice second coating. The lemon juice cuts through the intense sweetness of the powdered sugar, providing a great finishing touch for the rich cake.
And that magic dust?
Using crushed, freeze-dried blueberries as a garnish is totally optional, but a really lovely touch for additional texture. And let’s be real, it’s just so pretty! Freeze-dried fruits are becoming more and more widely available on national grocery store shelves, and they make great additions to any baker’s pantry for flavoring, coloring, and garnishing your treats!
This cake is made up of simple ingredients that, when combined, create pure delicious magic. Sweet, fruity, and aromatic, it’s the perfect recipe for spring.
Blueberry Cornmeal Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (158 g) cornmeal
- 1 1/2 cups (218 g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (215 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) salt
- 1 cup (235 g) buttermilk (or substitute 1 scant cup whole milk plus one tablespoon white vinegar)
- 3 (147 g) eggs
- 1/2 cup (105 g ) extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of two lemons
- 1/2 cup (80 g) dried blueberries (if using fresh or frozen, see note above)
- For the glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups (173 g) powdered sugar
- Juice of two lemons (about 1/4 cup)
- Hot water, as needed
- Freeze dried blueberries for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, olive oil, and lemon zest until well-combined. Add to the dry ingredients in two stages, folding until just combined. Add dried blueberries and fold a few more times, until evenly distributed. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Rotate the cake halfway through to ensure even browning.
- Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then gently loosen edges with a thin butter knife, if necessary. Remove cake from pan and allow to cool completely.
- To assemble glaze, sift powdered sugar into a medium bowl until there are no lumps. Add lemon juice, then add just enough hot water to make a smooth, thick glaze. Pour over cooled cake and crush freeze dried blueberries over top if desired. Serve at room temperature, storing in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
