Sable grape and olive oil cake

@AniphaeS

Published in 

British Food

 · 17 Mar 2022

Teatime treat

• Preparation time:25 minutes + cooling
• Cooking time:1 hour 15 minutes
• Serves: 12
  

Ingredients

• 400 g Waitrose Sable Seedless Grapes, stalks removed
• 100 g plain flour
• 100 g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1⁄2 tsp fine salt
• 3 tbsp flaked almonds
• 150 g caster sugar, plus an extra 1 tsp for the top
• 3 British Blacktail Free Range Medium Eggs
• 120 g Essential Olive Oil, plus extra for greasing
• 2 tbsp whole milk (or dairy-free alternative)
• A few drops almond extract (optional)
• 2 lemon thyme sprigs, leaves only
• Crème fraîche (or dairy-free alternative), to serve (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C, gas mark 6. Put the grapes on a baking tray and roast for 25 minutes, stirring halfway, until plump and just bursting; set aside to cool. (This can be done up to 24 hours in advance.)
2. When ready to bake the cake, preheat the oven to 180 °C, gas mark 4. Grease a 23 cm springform cake tin and line the base with baking parchment. Combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and fine salt in a bowl; set aside. In another bowl, combine the flaked almonds and 1 tsp sugar; set aside.
3. Put 150 g caster sugar and the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Using electric beaters, mix on high speed for 2 minutes until pale and airy. Beat in the oil, milk and almond extract (if using), then add the dry ingredients and the lemon thyme leaves. Fold in with a spatula until just combined.
4. Fold the grapes through the cake batter and spoon into the tin. Scatter with the flaked almonds and sugar, then bake for 45-50 minutes until golden, risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The grapes may sink to the bottom of the cake, but don’t worry. Cool completely in the tin before slicing to serve. A spoonful of crème fraîche is a nice accompaniment, if liked.

Cook's tip

Sable grapes are an intensely sweet and aromatic variety. Roasting them here concentrates their flavour and ensures they don't make the cake too wet.

Source: https://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/g/grape-and-olive-oilcake.html