Strawberry Balsamic Olive Oil Cake
Like having a slice of Italy for breakfast
Hello everyone. Today I am sharing this recipe for Strawberry Balsamic Olive Oil Cake in hopes that it will make it onto your table in the near future. Whether you celebrate Easter or not, it’s a great way to celebrate strawberries when they first come into season here in the northern hemisphere. Please enjoy!
Inspired by the rustic breakfast cakes of Italy
It is not unusual at all to have a wedge of cake for breakfast in Italy. While not the brain-healthiest breakfast, it’s wonderful as a special treat while traveling. My inspiration for this Strawberry Balsamic Olive Oil Cake comes from these simple, rustic cakes, often made with almonds, lemon, and a layer of whatever fruit is in season baked into the top. My friend and collaborator on Italian Brain Health Retreats (like this one in Puglia), Elizabeth Minchilli, makes a classic version here using ricotta.
I have literally been having cake for breakfast as I baked a slightly different version of this recipe each of the four days I was home. My goal was to optimize the 4F’s of brain health nutrition (this hits on fats, fiber, flavonoids) without sacrificing texture or flavor.
Join our food-loving brain-healthy community as a paying subscriber and get full access to more recipes like this. Plus, you’ll have first dibs on brain health retreat spots and qualify for special discount codes.
Here are the key players:
Strawberries. While some cakes in this genre have a few strawberries pressed into the top, I wanted this cake to include a whole pound of these brain-boosting, flavonoid-rich berries. Just like blueberries, strawberries are one of the top foods for anthocyanins, an important bioactive with brain health properties.
Extra-virgin olive oil. Swapping in EVOO for butter gives the cake a more brain-friendly fat profile (read more about that here). Olive oil’s savoriness also provides a nice contrast to the sweeter elements in the cake, like the berries, maple syrup, and honey, for a not-too-sweet result. I am using my everyday olive oil here, not my very best high-end one.
Fiber-packed flour. To get the crumbly, polenta-like texture just right, I played with a combination of nutrient-dense ingredients in my pantry—almond flour, oats, flaxseed meal, and whole-grain cornmeal. Fiber, as we went into here, is an important addition to a sweet treat as it helps slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and mitigate a resultant spike in insulin which over time may harm your metabolic health.
Balsamic vinegar. If you’ve made the Roasted Strawberries on page 75 of my book, you know I’m a big fan of this flavor combination to bring out the floral qualities in the berries. Combining the vinegar with a small amount of honey makes for a nicely caramelized top. While good-quality vinegar has some health-promoting properities (like slowing the absorption of sugar from a meal), here we are using it for its flavor. I used my best bottle of balsamico di modena.
I am happy to report that this cake is ready for you and all your spring celebrations. I recommend baking it in a springform pan for ease of serving, but it also works in a parchment lined 9-inch round or square baking pan.
RECIPE: STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC OLIVE OIL CAKE
Makes one 9-inch round cake
Ingredients:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons raw honey
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup almond flour
1 cup stone-ground cornmeal (medium or finely ground)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup plain, unsweetened whole milk yogurt
½ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Brush a 9-inch round springform pan with oil, line it with parchment paper, and brush the paper with more oil. Set aside.
Pick out 5 of the smallest berries and slice them thinly lengthwise; set aside to press into the top of the cake. Coarsely chop the remaining berries; you should have about 2 cups. Set aside.
In a small measuring cup, whisk together the honey and balsamic vinegar; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cornmeal, oats, flaxseed meal, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, maple syrup, olive oil, lemon zest, and vanilla, then pour over the flour mixture. Fold with a rubber spatula until only a few streaks of dry ingredients remain. Gently fold in the chopped berries and scrape into the pan. Top the loaf with the sliced berries and drizzle the balsamic mixture overtop.
Bake until the edges are deeply browned and a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool completely, then release the sides of the springform pan. Cut into wedges and serve.
TIP: To make muffins, divide batter between oil- and paper-line muffin cups. Top with strawberry slices and drizzle with honey-balsamic glaze. Bake 38 to 42 minutes.
Please enjoy the cake!
For Strawberry Balsamic Olive Oil Muffins, find the instructions here.
Love,
Annie
Brain Health Retreat Updates
My spring Brain Health Retreats in Puglia and Sardinia, Italy are sold out but I’ve just announced a retreat in Mexico this June, and another Sardinia retreat for fall. For the most up to date information, tap on RETREATS on the homepage.
BHK Retreat at Rancho La Puerta, Mexico June 7 to 14, 2025. Join me at the Ranch during Brain Health Week for a special retreat within a retreat. To register or submit questions, contact Donna Sher at 858.449.3672 or email her at dsher52@hotmail.com.
Sardinia’s Secrets For a Long and Healthy Life, October 12 to 19, 2025. Just announced! Join me this fall to explore Italy’s blue zones. Find all the details here; call 877-298-9677 for more information and to reserve your spot. This Brain Health Retreat was featured in National Geographic Traveller UK.
Costa Rica in February 5 to 10, 2026: Spots are filling quickly for this jungle and beach retreat. Learn more and reserve your spot here. Health Kitchen is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This cake is delicious! I served it with some rhubarb sauce and it was a nice complement. Maybe rhubarb in the cake next time!
will Greek yogurt work in this recipe?