This lemon olive oil cake is rich, citrusy, and super moist. It’s perfect for morning coffee or tea, celebrations, or a snack! All you need is a few pantry ingredients to make this delicious cake.
The best part about this cake is that it’s a single layer and there’s no frosting involved! In other words, it’s super easy to make. For more single-layer cakes, try this buttermilk chocolate cake and moist banana cake.
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Olive Oil – Good quality extra virgin olive oil is highly recommended.
- Milk – I highly recommend whole milk for this recipe.
- Lemons – You’ll need both lemon zest and juice. Make sure your lemons are ripe and juicy and whatever you do, do not use bottled lemon juice!
IMPORTANT RECIPE TIPS!
- Allow the cake to cool completely before serving otherwise it will taste a little eggy.
- When zesting lemons, only take off the yellow part. Once you see the white part, rotate the lemon and start zesting a new spot. The white part aka the pith is extremely bitter and you do not want to add it to the cake.
- Use a 9-inch cake pan, grease it with extra virgin olive oil, and line it with parchment paper.
- Do not overmix the cake batter or overbake the cake.
DO I HAVE TO ADD SUGAR ON TOP?
Because this cake has a potent citrus flavor, I highly recommend topping the cake off with granulated sugar before it goes into the oven and dusting it with powdered sugar once it cools. It adds flavor and sweetness!
CAN I USE A SPRING-FORM PAN?
Absolutely! Just make sure it’s a 9-inch springform pan.
WHAT CAN I SERVE THIS WITH?
Feel free to serve this cake with the following toppings:
- Berries
- Whipped Cream
- Vanilla yogurt
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Honey
STORAGE
This cake will stay fresh for up to 4 days at room temperature in an air-tight container or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
MORE CAKE RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY…
Tried this lemon olive oil cake recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook or Pinterest!
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Equipment
- 9-inch cake pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup lemon juice *check notes*
- 1 ¼ teaspoon lemon zest *check notes*
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons, divided
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a 9-inch cake pan with olive oil and line it with parchment paper.
- Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder to a large bowl, and mix until well combined.
- Add the granulated sugar and eggs to the bowl of an electric stand mixer and mix on high speed for 1 minute or until it turns a pale yellow color. If you don't have an electric mixer, use a regular whisk.
- With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the olive oil and mix until well incorporated.
- Add the lemon zest and juice and mix until well combined then add the milk and mix for a few seconds. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until well combined but don't overmix!
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar over the top.
- Bake for 45-47 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes, then run a butter knife along the sides of the cake pan, remove the cake from the pan and place it on a serving platter and allow it to cook for a couple of hours.
- Once the cake is cooled completely, dust it with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Notes
- You’ll need both lemon zest and juice. Make sure your lemons are ripe and juicy and whatever you do, do not use bottled lemon juice!
- When zesting lemons, only take off the yellow part. Once you see the white part, rotate the lemon and start zesting a new spot. The white part aka the pith is extremely bitter and you do not want to add it to the cake.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before serving otherwise it will taste a little eggy.
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