AuthorKamilCategoryCake & DessertsThis recipe was created by Alice from The London Pantry and just one mouthful has the power to whisk you away to the Mediterranean. She replaces butter with our Extra Virgin Olive Oil and it tastes as good as it looks.
Pre-heat the oven to 170 and grease a 23cm springform tin with butter (or oil if you would prefer to keep the recipe vegan but note this might result in a cake with slightly crunchier edges).
Place a bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the base doesn't touch the water. Add the chocolate to the bowl and allow to melt before adding the olive oil and lavender heads (its important that the lavender is flowering or freshly picked otherwise you will end up with bits in the cake). Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
In a very clean bowl, whisk the egg whites on a high speed and after 1 minute add 150g of the sugar. Continue whisking until you have a thick and glossy mixture.
In a separate bowl add the egg yolks to the remaining 50g of sugar and whisk until pale and doubled in volume.
Remove the lavender from the cooled chocolate mixture (if necessary, stand the bowl containing the chocolate in a basin of cold water; it should be no more than hand hot) and add to the egg yolks, along with the almonds and salt, folding to mix.
Take a spoonful of the egg white mixture and add it to the chocolate to loosen. Carefully fold in the remaining egg white using a metal spoon and turn the mixture into the springform tin.
Bake for 35 minutes until springy to touch or an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool and dust with icing sugar and sprinkle with lavender before serving with crème fraiche.
Ingredients
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 170 and grease a 23cm springform tin with butter (or oil if you would prefer to keep the recipe vegan but note this might result in a cake with slightly crunchier edges).
Place a bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the base doesn't touch the water. Add the chocolate to the bowl and allow to melt before adding the olive oil and lavender heads (its important that the lavender is flowering or freshly picked otherwise you will end up with bits in the cake). Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
In a very clean bowl, whisk the egg whites on a high speed and after 1 minute add 150g of the sugar. Continue whisking until you have a thick and glossy mixture.
In a separate bowl add the egg yolks to the remaining 50g of sugar and whisk until pale and doubled in volume.
Remove the lavender from the cooled chocolate mixture (if necessary, stand the bowl containing the chocolate in a basin of cold water; it should be no more than hand hot) and add to the egg yolks, along with the almonds and salt, folding to mix.
Take a spoonful of the egg white mixture and add it to the chocolate to loosen. Carefully fold in the remaining egg white using a metal spoon and turn the mixture into the springform tin.
Bake for 35 minutes until springy to touch or an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool and dust with icing sugar and sprinkle with lavender before serving with crème fraiche.