
Spanish Lemon–Olive Oil Cake (Coca de Llanda)
- Makes9-12 servings
- Cook Time50 minutes
- Active time plus cooling20 minutes active, plus cooling
- 3
Tender and light with a crunchy sugar top, this olive oil cake, called coca de llanda, is from Valencia, Spain. To coax as much citrus flavor as possible from the lemon zest, we rub it into the sugar. This draws out the zest’s essential oils. We reserve a couple tablespoons of lemon sugar for sprinkling over the batter, which adds an extra punch of flavor and bakes into a crisp, sparkly crust. The flavor of the olive oil comes through, so be sure to use an extra-virgin variety with a flavor you enjoy. Wrapped well and stored at room temperature, leftovers will keep for up to two days.
Don’t whisk the batter more than necessary, otherwise the cake will wind up dense and firm. Alternating the additions of dry ingredients and milk, along with gentle whisking, prevents gluten development and keeps the crumb light.
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