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Home » Blog » Cake and Cupcake Recipes » Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting & Fresh Figs

Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting & Fresh Figs

Cathy Roma Published: Sep 18, 2017

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This impossibly moist olive oil cake has just a hint of citrus and is topped with a swirl of creamy mascarpone frosting and fresh figs for a sophisticated fall dessert.

Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting & Fresh Figs

I’ve been getting nostalgic recently, which for this highly unsentimental girl, is not the norm. It’s not to say I don’t have happy memories or get a little misty when I see a video of my boys as sweet, chubby babies, but I wouldn’t say that I’m a particularly deep feeler.

I don’t hold onto greeting cards past the occasion for which they were given, I recycle my kids’ art projects almost as soon as they bring them home, and I am almost militant about cleaning out closets, drawers and storage bins. I actively try not to form an attachment to stuff…be it clothes that haven’t been worn in a year, china or glassware that never gets used, or even the house in which we live. I like to think that I could pick up and move at a moment’s notice and reflect happily on the time spent instead of lamenting about what we’d be missing.

Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting & Fresh Figs

 

Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting & Fresh Figs

But I’ve come to realize that tastes and smells are my emotional kryptonite. When the smell of Sunday sauce fills the house, I’m instantly transported back to being a kid nibbling on a meatball stabbed with a fork from a pot of my dad’s bubbling sauce while it simmered on the stove. Or just one sniff of the roasted nuts that permeate Manhattan on a crisp fall day makes me long for the time when I lived in the city and spent a lazy Sunday wandering through the park and brunching on french toast and mimosas with friends.

And a bite of this olive oil cake conjures memories of when I worked in pastry at a Manhattan restaurant and we spent countless hours recipe testing a cake that would stand up to a scoop of tangy buttermilk gelato. I have long since lost that particular recipe, but the flavor and texture of the cake is imprinted in my mind. It takes me back to the camaraderie of the restaurant kitchen, the fast, almost urgent pace and the tight bonds formed over a short period of time.

Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting & Fresh Figs

 

Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting & Fresh Figs

As I tested this recipe and tweaked the dry to wet ingredient ratio, contemplated to frost or not to frost (side note – this cake is also delicious without any icing) and considered if the figs on top should be fresh or roasted, it made me long for the days when I could bounce ideas off my counterparts and weigh someone else’s opinion against my own. As much as I love the autonomy of food blogging, it can feel a little lonely at times, especially in the early stages of crafting a recipe.

That said, I feel like this recipe is a resounding success. The cake is unbelievably moist and the bright, fruity olive oil flavor is unmistakable. A layer of tangy mascarpone frosting compliments the cake without overwhelming it and I opted for fresh figs scattered over the top as they are at their peak flavor and sweetness right now in the early fall season. This cake is rustic, yet sophisticated; easy to execute, but with a complexity of flavor. It would be a lovely dessert to serve for Rosh Hashanah or a winner at any fall celebration. For me, it’s a nod to days past and a sweet reminder of my time spent dressed in checkered pants and chef’s whites. I may not think of myself as an emotional person, but it turns out that all it takes is one bite of cake and I crumble into a heap of sentimental mush.

Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting & Fresh Figs

4.5 from 14 votes
Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting & Fresh Figs
Print
Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting & Fresh Figs
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 
This impossibly moist olive oil cake has just a hint of citrus and is topped with a swirl of creamy mascarpone frosting and fresh figs for a sophisticated fall dessert.
Course: Cake
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: olive oil cake
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 341 kcal
Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For...
Ingredients
Olive Oil Cake
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus additional for greasing the pan)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest, grated
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
Mascarpone Frosting
  • 5 oz mascarpone, softened
  • 8 oz confectioners sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups fresh figs (either halved or quartered for topping)
Instructions
Olive Oil Cake
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 inch round springform pan with olive oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a parchment round.

  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
  3. Combine the sugar, eggs, olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice in a bowl and beat well, about 2 mins.
  4. Add one third of the dry ingredients and beat well. Add half of the buttermilk and continue to alternate dry and wet ingredients until everything is combined.
  5. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center come out clean. Cool for 10 mins in the pan, then remove and finish cooling to a wire rack.
Mascarpone Frosting
  1. Beat all the ingredients together until smooth.

Decorate the cake
  1. Ice the cooled cake with the mascarpone frosting (just on top and slightly spilling over the sides) and arrange the figs on top. Slice and serve.

Recipe Notes

Special equipment: 9 inch springform pan

Nutrition Facts
Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting & Fresh Figs
Amount Per Serving
Calories 341 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 67mg22%
Sodium 390mg17%
Potassium 114mg3%
Carbohydrates 60g20%
Sugar 45g50%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 275IU6%
Vitamin C 1.3mg2%
Calcium 60mg6%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting & Fresh Figs
27

Cake and Cupcake Recipes, Recipe cake, cream cheese frosting, Italian, mascarpone, rosh hashanah, olive oil, figs

About Cathy Roma

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

★ Made this recipe? Make sure to give it a rating below!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeanne browne says

    September 18, 2017 at 6:44 pm

    Hi Cathy
    Do you recommend a brand of olive oil?
    Thanks
    Hope all is well
    -jeanne Browne( Walpole)

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      September 19, 2017 at 7:30 pm

      You can use whatever olive oil you use to cook, it doesn’t have to be a fancy or expensive brand. Definitely use extra virgin.

  2. Amy says

    September 19, 2017 at 5:57 pm

    I have been looking for a good olive oil cake recipe and this one looks lovely. Olive oil cake is simply divine. Thanks! I’m definitely going to try this one!

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      September 19, 2017 at 7:32 pm

      I hope you enjoy Amy!

  3. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

    September 20, 2017 at 5:36 pm

    What a stunner Cathy! And it sounds absolutely delicious! What a fabulous fall treat!

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      September 21, 2017 at 2:24 am

      Thanks Mary Ann! I could eat olive oil cake in any season!

  4. Bev Pamensky says

    September 27, 2017 at 12:24 am

    Hi Cathy,

    Is 8oz of confectioner’s sugar equal to 1 cup or do you weigh it?

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      September 27, 2017 at 1:43 pm

      Hi Bev. Great question. I definitely weigh it. Or, even easier…if you buy it in a 1 lb box, just use half.

  5. Claudia Amini says

    October 13, 2017 at 7:06 pm

    Hi Cathy,

    Does the recipe ingredients come in grams?
    So looking forward to baking this!
    Thanks
    Claudia

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      October 13, 2017 at 10:01 pm

      Hi Claudia. I’m sorry but I don’t have the conversion to grams!

  6. umberto says

    October 14, 2017 at 2:19 am

    can it be kept at room temp?

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      October 14, 2017 at 12:57 pm

      Yes. It will keep for a day or two at room temp. Move it to the refrigerator after that

  7. Gab says

    December 20, 2017 at 11:39 pm

    Hello! If I cannot find fresh figs do you have another suggestion for the topping?

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      December 21, 2017 at 1:43 pm

      I would choose a fruit that is in season and not overly watery so it doesn’t weep on the cake. Think fresh berries in the summer and maybe segmented clementines or a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds in the winter.

  8. Karen M. Chapman says

    August 31, 2018 at 3:14 pm

    5 stars
    It looks delicious! I love the combination and the cake looks so elegant.

    I like you, I can’t have enough figs, the soft perfectly ripe ones are hard to resist!

    Reply
  9. Trish Stincer says

    June 22, 2020 at 6:14 pm

    Hi!

    What is the conversion of 5oz mascarpone cheese to cups?

    Reply
    • Cathy Roma says

      June 23, 2020 at 10:23 am

      There are 8 oz in a cup of mascarpone. 5 oz is about 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Hope that helps!

  10. Alex says

    August 18, 2020 at 1:42 am

    I just mad this and it didn’t come out correctly at all.
    The whole center bubbled up into brown bubbles that span about 5 inches. I followed the recipe correctly and just triple checked- any idea what could have gone so wrong?

    Reply
    • Cathy Roma says

      August 18, 2020 at 11:34 am

      I’m so sorry to hear that. Nothing is more frustrating than when a recipe doesn’t turn out. Perhaps you overmixed when alternating wet and dry ingredients, didn’t use the correct pan or hit oven wasn’t preheated long enough when you placed the cake in the oven?

  11. Stephanie says

    November 18, 2021 at 11:11 pm

    I have a 7in spring form pan, if I half this recipe would the cake be too flat or would there be any other negative outcomes? We are hoping to not have a giant cake as it’s only for four people.

    Reply

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HEY THERE, I’M CATHY.

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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