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lemon olive oil cake slice on a plate with the entire cake in the background.
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5 from 1 vote

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

This lemon olive oil cake is rich, citrusy, and super moist. It's perfect for morning coffee or tea, celebrations, or a snack!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time47 minutes
Total Time1 hour 2 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian American
Servings: 8
Calories: 581kcal

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 368mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg