Olive Oil Rye Cake with Vanilla Stewed Tomatoes and Sour Whipped Cream
By Sam Fuchs
I think we can all agree: the tomato is the summer vegetable. As a reformed hater, I’ve come a long way from turning my nose up at one of the season’s greatest delights: a juicy, sun-ripened tomato. I love finding creative ways to use everyday ingredients, and this recipe does just that.
This olive oil snacking cake has a plush, moist crumb that could easily stand on its own, but when you top it with vanilla-stewed tomatoes and a tangy, lightly sour whipped cream, it truly sings. Not too sweet, slightly savory, and full of bright, unexpected flavor, it’s quick to make but tastes like something far more sophisticated.
Ingredients (20)
Ingredients (20)
Olive Oil Rye Cake
Vanilla-Stewed Tomatoes
Sour Whipped Cream (makes enough for 4-5 generous servings, about half the cake)
Makes enough for 4-5 generous servings, about half the cake
Instructions
Bake the cake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8-inch cake pan with olive oil and parchment.
In a large bowl, beat eggs (2 large) and sugar (¾ cup) with a hand mixer until fluffy, thick, and pale in color.
With the hand mixer on medium, slowly stream in olive oil (¾ cup) to create an emulsion.
Add the sour cream (¾ cup), milk (⅛ cup), vanilla (1 ½ tsp), and salt (1 tsp), mixing on low until just combined.
Sift in the remaining dry ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold the mixture until just combined and pour into the prepared cake pan.
The rye flour may contain particles that are too large to pass through the sieve - just sift what you can and toss the remainder in.
Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Make the tomato jam
While the cake bakes, prepare the jam.
Halve the tomatoes (2 ½ cups), peel the lemon (1 lemon) with a vegetable peeler, and juice the lemon.
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer on low heat. Cook until thick and jammy, taking care not to stir too vigorously to ensure the tomatoes remain partially intact, about 30 minutes.
Once cooked, remove the lemon peel and transfer to a container to cool before serving.
Make the whipped cream
In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream (⅔ cup) on medium until very soft peaks form. Add remaining ingredients, remove the whisks from the hand mixer, and hand-whisk to combine.
Take care not to overwhip - I whisk gently until the cream barely holds its shape and is perfect for dolloping.
To assemble, top cake slices with a generous dollop of whipped cream, a spoonful of the jammy tomatoes, and enjoy!
This recipe is part of the Mixtures digital cookbook, and is only available once you've purchased the cookbook.
Purchase ($6.00)
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Sam Fuchs is a food creative and freelance baker running a microbakery out of her apartment in Ridgewood, Queens. Craving community and Tumblr-era online anonymity, she started a secret food account in 2022. It quickly grew into the platform it was always intended to be: a place to connect others through food and celebrate the joy of making things by hand. Now, you can find her either slinging cakes from her home bakery, popping up at cafes around the city, or hosting community bake sales from friends' apartments.