Italian Fresh Purple Grape Cake

  4.3 – 19 reviews  

The rich, silky, aromatic sweet wine made in small amounts on many Italian estates, Vin Santo, pairs beautifully with grape cake.

Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Additional Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 8
Yield: 1 9-inch cake

Ingredients

  1. ⅔ cup white sugar
  2. 2 eggs
  3. ⅓ cup milk
  4. ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  5. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  6. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  7. 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  8. ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  9. 1 pinch salt
  10. 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
  11. 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
  12. 10 ounces small purple grapes

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan, tapping out any excess flour.
  2. Beat sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Add milk, olive oil, melted butter, and vanilla; mix until blended.
  3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add lemon zest and orange zest and toss until coated with flour.
  4. Spoon the flour mixture into wet ingredients; stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix once more. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquids.
  5. Add 7 to 8 ounces grapes to the batter; stir to incorporate. Spoon batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Set remaining grapes aside.
  6. Bake cake in the center of the preheated for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle reserved grapes over the top.
  7. Return to the oven and bake until the top is a deep golden brown and the cake feels quite firm when pressed with a fingertip, about 40 more minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Release and remove the side of the springform pan, leaving the cake on the pan base. Let cool to room temperature. Cut thin wedges to serve.
  9. Please note differences in ingredient amounts when following the magazine version of this recipe, as well as the additions of mascarpone and honey.

Reviews

Cynthia Jones
I replaced the butter with peanut butter for a Peanut Butter and Jelly cake!
John Mason
I enjoyed making it. Did not flour pan only change
Emily Mckinney
One piece was not enough!
Deborah Clarke
The orange zest helps make this cake tasty..
Ann Russell
Really a yummy cake.
Erika Freeman
Truly a great cake and surprising. It is wonderful to watch our friends try it! They look at it and have doubts because of the grapes, they tasting it they love it.
Shirley Olson
This cake is amazing. Light and moist. Big hit with my family
Jeremy Gonzalez
Very nice smells amazing was not sure about the olive oil but worked well.
Gavin Smith
Yumm…almost like a grape cobbler.
Sheila Barr
I had never heard of this type of cake but thought it sounded delicious… and it was! It also looks beautiful.
Angelica Watkins
This was very yum and an innovative cake. But maybe here in India the grapes aren’t as small or sweet ‘coz the skins added a slightly sour taste which spoilt it for some people.
William Johnson
This wasn’t a bad cake. But, I do prefer a lighter, fluffier cake. I also wasn’t too big of a fan of the grapes. They’re just kind of sour. I would prefer something else, like raspberries.
Mark Johnson
This cake is definitely best eaten with a cup of tea of coffee, otherwise it is rather dry and not very sweet. It also sank a lot after I took it out of the oven, but that was probably my fault as I’m not very good at making cakes. Thanks!
Jade Martin
These grapes are in season in my part of the world and my family loves them. The cake is rather unusual and absolutely delicious.
Melvin Perkins
how odd. 8 yr old neighbor asked why there were hotdogs in a cake. haha. grapes were good. the zest made the cake itself very good
David Burke
I made it with blueberries instead of grapes and it was really good, it’s a keeper, doubled the recipe, didn’t use springform.
Sarah Long
too dry, let’s try a little more baking powder and less cooking time at 150 C degrees.
Ms. Maria Johnson
WOW! Light and moist, this cake is a winner. I loved the addition of olive oil. Not too sweet, with a hint of citrus. Mmmm! Loved it. I will definitely be making it again. Incidentally, I made this cake to share at an interview at an olive oil company (made with their oil). They loved it, too! Hopefully, it will get me a job. 🙂
Benjamin Garcia
This recipe was a hit at our table. It was gone the same day and I made a new cake the next morning! I made a few changes… 1/3 cup honey instead of 2/3 cups sugar and increase milk to 2/3 cup. Yummy! Seeds from grapes add a crunshy twist…

 

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