The secret to this intensely lemony cake? Olive oil instead of butter! It’s a classic Mediterranean approach that gives this simple cake its incredibly moist, tender crumb and rich flavor.
I’ve developed hundreds of lemon recipes over the years, so I know exactly what I want from a lemon cake. This one has the bright flavor I want, with a soft, incredibly moist crumb from the olive oil. For me, it’s the ultimate lemon cake.
🍋 Bright lemon flavor ~ made with 3 fresh lemons (and no extract.)
🍋 Stays moist for days ~ olive oil keeps the crumb soft and tender
🍋 Simple one-layer cake ~ no frosting, just powdered sugar
You won’t taste the olive oil (unless you want to!)
One of the best things about baking with olive oil is that you get to decide how much of its flavor comes through. A pure or mild olive oil is virtually undetectable in the finished cake, letting the lemon take center stage. A more robust extra virgin olive oil brings fruity, grassy, or even slightly peppery notes. It’s completely up to you!
What’s your lemon olive oil cake style?
- Just give me the lemon
- Look for bottles labeled Pure, Classic, or Extra Light Taste. These are the most neutral choices, giving you all the moisture of olive oil while letting the lemon take center stage. Avoid anything that says Extra Virgin.
- I think I’d like a hint of olive oil
- Look for Mild, Smooth Taste, or Delicate extra virgin olive oil. You’ll get a subtle olive oil flavor in the background without losing that bright lemon character.
- I’m up for a bolder olive oil flavor!
- Choose an extra virgin olive oil labeled Rich Taste or Robust, preferably one described as fruity. It adds a deeper, richer background flavor that complements the lemon beautifully.
No wimpy lemon flavor here ~ lots of fresh juice and zest
If you’re a lemon lover like me, you’ve probably made a lemon cake or two that didn’t quite deliver. Getting that bright, tart lemon flavor into baked goods can be surprisingly tricky, and it’s something I’m always working on in my lemon recipes. This one gets it right with fresh lemon juice and zest, no extract needed.
Sue’s baking tips
- Grease your springform pan well, and make sure it’s in good condition. This batter is on the liquid-y side, so wrap the bottom seam and lower sides snugly with heavy-duty foil to help prevent leaks. You’ll place the pan directly on the oven rack, with a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips.
- Don’t skimp on the lemon zest, make sure you zest the whole lemons and that you get 1/2 cup of juice from your 3 lemons.
- Don’t over-mix your batter once you’ve added the flour or you will get a gummy texture.
- Check for doneness. Oven temperatures vary, and the top may look done before the center is fully baked. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Let that be your guide rather than the clock.
- Allow the cake to cool partially in the pan before attempting to release it. Run a thin butter knife around the edges if it seems like it’s a bit stuck.
Reader wisdom: tips & tweaks
The comments on this cake have been so much fun to read! You called it lemon curd in cake form, the best lemon cake I’ve ever had, and even the only cake recipe I will make from now on.
Along the way, you’ve shared some clever tweaks and great discoveries ~ here are a few of my favorites.
- Play with the citrus. Readers have had great results using Meyer lemons, a combination of lemon and orange, and even lemon-infused olive oil for extra citrus flavor.
- Make it dairy-free. Both oat milk and almond milk have worked beautifully in place of whole milk.
- Try gluten-free. Readers report success with 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. Look for a blend that contains xanthan gum.
- Prefer less sugar? Several readers have reduced the sugar from 1½ cups to 1 cup with good results. The cake will be a little less sweet and may brown less.
- Dress it up! Some reader favorites include a layer of lemon curd, fresh berries and whipped cream, or blueberry compote.
- Make it ahead. This cake freezes beautifully. Cool completely, wrap well, and freeze for another day.
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Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Video
Equipment
- 9" springform pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup olive oil , see notes in the post about choosing an olive oil for this recipe.
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, plus 2 tbsp for sprinkling the top
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- zest from 3 lemons
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- powdered sugar for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan well. Wrap the bottom seam and lower sides snugly with heavy-duty foil to help prevent leaks. You'll place the pan directly on the oven rack, with a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 1 cup olive oil , 3 large eggs, and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar.
- Add the 2 tsp vanilla extract, zest from 3 lemons and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Whisk briefly to combine.
- Sift together the 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 2 cups all purpose flour. Alternating with the 1 cup whole milk, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in a couple of batches. Try not to over-mix at this stage, you just want to combine everything until no streaks of dry flour remain.
- Pour the batter into the springform pan. Sprinkle the additional 2 Tbsp of granulated sugar evenly over the top.
- Bake for 50–55 minutes, or until the cake is risen, lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted into the very center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Baking times can vary, so check the center rather than relying on color alone. If the top is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil and continue baking until done.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Then gently remove the cake from the springform pan and allow to cool completely on a baking rack.
- When cool, dust the top with powdered sugar, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
More cakes to fall in love with
Lemon Yogurt Breakfast Cake (Ciambella)
Lemon Yogurt Breakfast Cake is an Italian style coffee cake with a soft, pillowy texture and a delicate lemon flavor.
Lemon Drizzle Cake
Lemon Drizzle Cake is an easy lemon bundt with a distinctive crunchy lemon glaze. You only need a few basic ingredients to make this lovely lemony dessert.
Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
A deliciously easy gluten free chocolate cake made with olive oil instead of butter.
Almond Olive Oil Cake
If you haven’t baked with olive oil yet, start here ~ this simple almond olive oil cake is soft, moist, and so easy to get right.
Does this cake freeze ok? Either I missed that part or it wasn’t there? I want to cut some smaller wedges and freeze them for when we want something yummy.
Sorry!!! My mistake. Apologies
No worries! Hope you love it.
You left out the sugar measurement in the recipe
It’s in there, right after the eggs!
I was given a bottle of LEMON OLIVE OIL ! If I use it in this recipe, how much zest should I cut back??
Hi J.J. – products like this can vary so much, it’s hard to say without knowing how strong a lemon flavor your olive oil has! I would give it a taste, and if it’s got a lot of flavor I would say you could cut the zest in half. I’d still keep some in there for a fresh lemon note.
So simple and delicious. I will defiantly make this again.
So delicious! I also made a lemon glaze to go on top and it came out perfect. I would say count on 55 minutes for bake time.
How long to bake in two 8 or two 9 inch pans?
I’ve made this recipe but subbed whole milk for Greek yogurt and it was the most delicious moist cake I’ve ever made! Just wondering if I could sun lemons for oranges?
Love the yogurt idea, I’ll try that. I’ve made this exact cake with orange and wasn’t quite as thrilled, but I’m working on it. Orange isn’t as bright a flavor, so maybe mixing a little lemon juice with the orange would help. Also I’m thinking of adding cardamom to the orange to boost the flavors.
I have not made this recipe yet but I am so excited to try it! Any recommendations around making this recipe using a mini Bundt pan for individual servings?? Thank you so much!!
You could try, but I’m not recommending it because this cake is quite moist and I don’t think it will be easy to turn it out of a bundt pan. If you want individual servings you’d be better off with mini springform (cheesecake) pans.
I was looking for a light dessert after having served crispy whole duck to my family. I just wanted something light and fluffy. And this fit the bill! love this recipe! Rose beautifully, tasted like summer in this cold weather we have in Michigan at the moment. I saw your modification for the milk after I had already put the cake in the oven- and I’m so pleased. Probably one of my favorite cakes I have baked. This will be on my rotation. Love love love it. Can’t wait to explore and see what else you have next for me.
Tip for others: at 50 min I checked to see if the cake was done- it was almost there. So I covered with foil for the last 5-7 min and it seemed to have done the trick.
Enjoy’ xoxo
Thanks so much Renee ~ I have LOTS more in store for you, have fun exploring!
We love this! Made exactly as directed except substituted 1 cup of almond flour. This will be an excellent occasion or gift cake.