Lemon Olive Oil Cake
& a summery cherry tomato & basil pasta
I have two beautiful new recipes for you this week that just shine and sing summertime! The first being a lemon olive oil cake that is zest and light and the second is a cherry tomato and basil pasta that can be made in 15 minutes. They are both perfect on their own, but even better together. Dinner and dessert, sorted.
These are the kinds of recipes I come back to again and again and that make my Italian heart sign. The pasta is one of my favourite quick dinners (my daughters go crazy for it), especially when cherry tomatoes are in season and begging to be used. I like to buy my tomatoes and leave them sitting on my countertop for a few days until they are ripe and juicy. These overripe tomatoes make the best sauce! I also made a youtube video for this recipe that you can watch here.
And the lemon olive oil cake is one of the sweetest little cakes you will make. Light, moist and made without any butter, just good olive oil. I like to serve it with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a little drizzle of olive oil on top which also make it the perfect breakfast slice. Simple, fresh and full of flavour.
It’s been a little while since I have shared a dessert recipe so I really hope you enjoy it!
You’ll find recipes just like these in my cookbook, Garlic, Olive Oil & Everything Mediterranean, simple, fresh and full of flavour, just the way I was raised to cook by my Italian and Spanish mum.
Happy cooking and baking x
What’s Cooking This Week
This lemon olive oil cake is one of the sweetest little cakes you’ll ever make. It’s bursting with citrus from both fresh lemon juice and zest, and the olive oil keeps it incredibly moist, light and naturally dairy-free. While you can absolutely ice it, I love serving it with just a dusting of icing sugar and a dollop of Greek Yoghurt. It’s the kind of cake that works for breakfast, afternoon tea or a light after-dinner treat.
This cherry tomato and basil pasta tastes like summer in a bowl. With just a handful of fresh ingredients, it delivers bright and summery flavors thanks to jammy, blistered cherry tomatoes, plenty of good olive oil, and fresh basil. As the tomatoes burst in the pan, they create the most delicious sauce that is jammy and rich.