Autumn is a great time for baking and we couldn’t but get our hands on some mastic drops and mastic oil and make a delicious and aromatic cake. We also used olive oil, which we love in baking. Check out Mrs Kalliopi’s olive oil cake with apples.
Today’s cake recipe is also inspired by our mastiha producers on the island of Chios, who paired the aroma of mastiha with lemon, a combination that will definitely amaze you. Expect a moist and tender cake that is very, very aromatic.
It is great with a cup of olive leaf tea and makes for a wholesome treat for all.
We baked our cake in a muffin tray, but you can use a cake tin if you prefer.
Serves 6
160g flour, plus more for the cake tin or muffin tray
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp mastic tears or 3-4 drops of mastic oil
60g white sugar
40g brown sugar
2 eggs
70ml olive oil, plus more for the cake tin or muffin tray
zest of 1 lemon and 2 tbsp lemon juice
lemon slices (to serve)
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Grind the mastiha and white sugar together (you can skip this step if using mastic oil).
In a bowl sieve together the flour and baking powder.
In a separate large bowl add the eggs, white and brown sugars and whisk well until white and fluffy. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking everything together. Add the lemon zest and juice. If using mastic oil add it now and whisk again.
Add the flour into the egg-sugar mixture and whisk until combined.
Grease your cake tin or muffin tray with olive oil and sprinkle some flour. Pour your cake batter in the cake tin or muffin tray and bake for 20-30minutes until the cake is ready. You can test it by inserting a knife or a toothpick in its centre. It should come out clean.
Slice up the remaining lemon and decorate with fresh lemon wedges (no waste!)
