• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Waves in the Kitchen logo

  • Food
    • Recipe Index
      • Colors & Seasons
  • Photography
  • Adventure
  • About
    • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Food
    • Recipe Index
      • Colors & Seasons
  • Adventure
  • About
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Recipes / Menu / Sweet Treats / Olive Oil Cake with Strawberries

    Olive Oil Cake with Strawberries

    May 14, 2022 · 10 Comments

    7024 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    A subtly sweet olive oil and fresh strawberry cake with creamy ricotta, textured cornmeal, and a tangy balsamic glaze! Very easy to make and apropos for any time of day.

    Daniela Gerson's hands the olive olive and fresh strawberry cake, overhead shot.

    Why this Recipe Works

    • Simple to make! Quickly & easily whip up the cake batter with just 2 bowls and 1 whisk.
    • All the Flavors! Fruity olive oil, creamy ricotta, textured cornmeal, and tangy balsamic pair with sweet and juicy strawberries.
    • The balsamic intensifies the flavor of the strawberries and brings out their sweetness.
    • Apropos of any time of day! Eat this cake with your morning coffee, afternoon tea, post dinner dessert or as a midnight snack.

    The ask: develop a seasonal summer recipe highlighting a clients olive oil and balsamic vinegar glaze.

    Balsamic vinegar and olive oil make a classic vinaigrette. Balsamic vinegar and strawberries are a classic pairing. Let’s combine all 3 in a cake!

    olive oil cake with strawberries in a cast iron skillet. pre-oven, with little kid hands on the skillet.

    This not subtly sweet and very moist cake with intriguing tartness is perfect for summer!

    Baking with Olive Oil

    Olive oil, perhaps more commonly associated more with savory food, provides a wonderful moisture, tenderness, and richness baked goods. It’s slightly savory and intensely fruity notes lends appealing complexity to our cake.

    Baking with olive oil instead of butter both simplifies and expedites the baking process: there’s no waiting for the butter to come to room temp then beating it with sugar.  

    In this recipe simply whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl, whisk the wet ingredients in another, then combine and the cake batter is done.

    The olive oil is distinct enough to make a difference but subtle enough that it’s not overpowering. 

    How to Make this Olive Oil Cake

    • Whisk all the dry ingredients in a bowl
    • Whisk all the wet ingredients in another bowl
    • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients 
    • Slice the strawberries and mix them with the balsamic glaze 
    • Fold in 1/3 of the strawberries into the cake batter 
    • Pour batter in a skillet or cake pan
    • Top batter with remaining strawberries. A pattern can make it look extra fancy but go with whatever design you want (or none at all). Add fresh herbs, such as thyme, basil, mint or lavender (optional).
    • Bake & enjoy.
    • pre-oven olive oil cake topped with fresh strawberries; overhead shot on a black background
      pre-oven
    • Olive oil and fresh strawberry cake post oven; topped with fresh strawberries and herbs; overhead shot.
      post-oven

    No strawberries? No problem! This cake is too damn good to be limited to strawberry season. Try it with other berries, figs, stone fruits or grapes.  

    Cooks Tips

    • When possible, buy local and organic strawberries. 
    • Choose a medium-ground cornmeal for this recipe (a coarser grind will give the cake a gritty texture).
    • Keep in mind the strawberries will shrink and sink slightly during baking.  
    • Serving suggestions: vanilla ice cream, yogurt, additional ricotta and/or additional strawberries.

    Other Strawebrry-licious Recipes

    • Roasted Strawberries
    • Strawberry-Rhubarb Galette
    • Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
    • Strawberry Snack Cake
    • Strawberry Salsa
    • Strawberry Gazpacho
    • Strawberry Salad with Burrata

    Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with @DanielaGerson. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and awesome adventures!

    Let’s make waves in the kitchen!

    Daniela Gerson's hands the olive olive and fresh strawberry cake, overhead shot.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 4 votes

    Olive Oil and Fresh Strawberry Cake

    A subtly sweet olive oil and fresh strawberry cake with creamy ricotta, textured cornmeal, and a tangy balsamic glaze! Very easy to make and apropos for any time of day.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time50 mins
    Course: Brunch, Dessert
    Cuisine: Californian, Italian
    Servings: 10
    Author: Daniela Gerson

    Ingredients

    For the Olive Oil Cake:

    • 1 cup flour
    • 1 cup cornmeal
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 1 cup ricotta
    • 1 cup Filippo Berio organic extra virgin olive oil
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla
    • 1 tsp kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder

    For the Balsamic Glazed Strawberries:

    • 2 cups strawberries
    • ½ cup Filippo Berio classic balsamic glaze
    • Handful of fresh herbs such as thyme basil, mint or lavender

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat bottom and sides of an 9-inch pan or cast iron skillet with a drizzle of olive oil.
    • In a bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, both sugars, baking powder, and salt together. In another bowl, whisk the olive oil, ricotta, eggs, and vanilla together. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and whisk until just combined.
    • Slice the strawberries and mix them with the balsamic glaze. Fold in 1/3 of the strawberries into the cake batter with a spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and arrange remaining strawberries on top of batter. Add fresh herbs (optional).
    • Bake until top is golden brown, center is firm, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes.
    • Servings suggestions: vanilla ice cream, yogurt or more ricotta and/or more fresh balsamic glazes strawberries.

    Notes

    • When possible, buy local and organic strawberries. 
    • Choose a medium-ground cornmeal for this recipe (a coarser grind will give the cake a gritty texture).
    • Keep in mind the strawberries will shrink and sink slightly during baking.  
    • Serving suggestions: vanilla ice cream, yogurt, additional ricotta and/or additional strawberries. 
    Did you make this recipe? Please share and tag @DanielaGerson! I'd love to see how you're making colorful waves in the kitchen!
    « Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
    Roasted Cherries »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jacqueline Gerson says

      July 18, 2020 at 11:04 am

      5 stars
      Wowwww such a gorgeous cake!!! Me encanto comerlo :)!!! The images are super gorgeous!!! Love the little hands!🍓🍓🍓

      Reply
      • Daniela Gerson says

        July 18, 2020 at 11:08 am

        Hehehe you are so cute! Anik made my food pics so much better! Loved creating this campaign :).🍓💜😘

        Reply
    2. Alex Gerson says

      July 18, 2020 at 11:51 am

      5 stars
      This one is my 2020 favorite of Daniela's creations for many reasons, to name 2: 1) never in my life I would have thought of baking to show what can be done with great olive oil and balsamic vinagar, 2) When you look closely at the hands carrying the amazing creation you can tell that there are 20-30 years in between the ages of those hands telling us that this is an amazing dessert of all ages.

      Reply
      • Daniela Gerson says

        July 20, 2020 at 11:40 pm

        Hehehe your comments is too cute! Thank you so much for the super sweet feedback! I really love your comments and appreciate it :)!

        Reply
      • Faye says

        September 25, 2020 at 3:10 pm

        Hi there, this looks gorgeous and I can’t wait to make it. i was wondering what size cake pan to use?

        Reply
        • Daniela Gerson says

          September 29, 2020 at 11:43 am

          Hi Faye and I'll update the recipe to specify a 9-inch cake pan! So stoked to hear you're making this :). 8-inch would work as well but it would just take a bit more time to cook. Let me know how ya like it please :)!

          Reply
    3. Leah says

      April 13, 2021 at 5:14 am

      5 stars
      I followed the recipe exactly and it was AMAZING! This will definitely be in the rotation going forward. Love the flavor combination!

      Reply
      • Daniela Gerson says

        May 25, 2021 at 7:27 am

        So super stoked to hear that Leah! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this sweet feedback and happy to hear the strawberry cake will be on your rotation :)!

        Reply
    4. Jill says

      January 23, 2022 at 12:30 pm

      5 stars
      This is my first olive oil cake and it was fantastic! I used basil, mint and thyme on top with the strawberries and the subtle flavor from the herbs was perfection. As written this recipe is wonderful.

      Reply
      • Daniela Gerson says

        February 05, 2022 at 6:55 pm

        Thanks so much for the super sweet feedback Jill! I really appreciate and am so happy to hear it was fantastic! Your toppings sound delectable :).

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Meet Daniela

    VEGGIES ARE SEXY 

    Hi, I'm Daniela - a Los Angeles based food photographer and creative director. I began my career as a chef with a passion for sourcing colorful produce from local markets. I love emphasizing the beauty of real food with my images. I’m also a food stylist and recipe developer with a gorgeous prop-filled studio in Venice, California.

    Daniela Gerson Photography

    Subscribe to the Newsletter

    PDN First Place Taste

    Popular Fall Recipes

    Beet Hummus with Parsley, Lemon Zest, Za'atar & Flaky Sea Salt, in a white bowl.

    Beet Hummus

    Finished tart with tahini swirl, side angle shot.

    Chocolate Tahini Tart

    Cranberry Gingersnap Pie. Topped with sugared cranberries and sugared thyme. Side Ange shot. Up close. On a black background.

    Cranberry Gingersnap Pie

    Citrus & Fresh Herb Roasted Salmon. Pre Oven with blood oranges, lemons, Meyer lemons, limes, kumquats, red onions, garlic, parsley, and dill on the salmon.

    Citrus & Fresh Herb Roasted Salmon

    Mascarpone Cheesecake with balsamic roasted long stemmed strawberries, out of the spring form pan, 45 degree angle shot.

    Amaretto & Mascarpone Cheesecake

    Pomegranate Chicken topped with pomegranate arils and parsley, in cast iron skillet on a white background; overhead shot.

    Pomegranate Chicken

    Popular Posts

    Beet Hummus with Parsley, Lemon Zest, Za'atar & Flaky Sea Salt, in a white bowl.

    Beet Hummus

    Raw chicken thighs topped with cherries and rosemary in a skillet; overhead shot.

    Cherry Chicken

    Finished tart with tahini swirl, side angle shot.

    Chocolate Tahini Tart

    Cranberry Gingersnap Pie. Topped with sugared cranberries and sugared thyme. Side Ange shot. Up close. On a black background.

    Cranberry Gingersnap Pie

    Easy to make No-Bake delicious Cheesecake topped with fresh strawberries, date syrup, and flaky salt; side angle shot on a grey background.

    No-Bake Cheesecake

    Citrus & Fresh Herb Roasted Salmon. Pre Oven with blood oranges, lemons, Meyer lemons, limes, kumquats, red onions, garlic, parsley, and dill on the salmon.

    Citrus & Fresh Herb Roasted Salmon

    Sites that have featured Waves in the Kitchen

    Copyright © 2023 Waves in the Kitchen • Privacy Policy • Disclosure

    7024 shares