When life gives you lemons…brighten up your day with this healthy, fresh and delicious olive oil citrus loaf. I love using extra virgin olive oil in my baking, it gives the product such a rich, and moist texture, not to mention those beautiful omega-9 fatty acids that are so nourishing for the heart, skin, hair, and nails. Hello gorgeous!

I always seek to improve the nutritional quality of all baked goods, and this loaf gets a healthy boost of protein and fibre from the addition of almond flour. Next to spelt, it’s my preferred flour to bake with. It has a naturally sweet taste making it a great gluten-free option for your baked products. It is made from blanched (skinned) almonds. The finer the grind, the better your baked goods will turn out. If the flour is coarsely ground, your baked goods may come out overly moist and gritty. When storing almond flour, keep enough for 1-2 weeks of baking in an airtight container in your pantry. Store the rest in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 12 months. If it has a bitter taste it has gone bad and should be discarded.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup almond meal flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon white sugar, divided (you can also use coconut sugar it just will yield a darker loaf)
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Toppings and Garnish

• 1 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• icing/powdered sugar
• orange slices

Directions

1. 01. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and line an 8×4″ loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. 02. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. 03. In a medium bowl, add 3/4 cup sugar, orange and lemon zests. Rub the zests into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant and until the colour of the sugar begins to turn orange.
4. 04. In the same bowl, add the eggs, orange juice, olive oil and vanilla. Whisk together vigorously until fully combined.
5. 05. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Combine with wooden spoon until it’s well incorporated. Don’t worry if the batter looks lumpy! It will be fine once baked.
6. 06. Sprinkle the top of the batter with the remaining tablespoon of sugar and place in the oven. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
7. 07. Place the cake on a wire rack and let cook for 15-20 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and place on a serving platter. Using a toothpick, poke holes all over the cake and drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Let the cake cool completely before serving.
8. 08. Top your cake loaf with citrus slices and icing sugar and enjoy right away!

Note: if serving later, simply add the orange slices and icing sugar before you plan to serve it.

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