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
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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.
What a fantastic recipe! I needed a last-minute dessert and came across this. I only had one lemon so I used the zest and juice from an entire orange and half a lemon. Also didn’t have whole milk but used 3/4 C 1.5% milk and 1/4 C half and half. Lastly, I used cake flour instead of AP flour. I had to bake the cake for a full 75 minutes for it to set; so much longer than expected that I thought maybe I’d left out a 1/2 C of flour. It turned out magnificently and was a big hit at my New Year’s Eve party. Thanks for the recipe!
We did increase the lemon zest without even trying it as we love lemon. My daughter did the zesting not sure how many…. prob 7 small homegrown lemons. it was GREAT. wanted to ask if we could use a little less olive oil? we wouldnt mind it a bit drier …. how much do you think we could reduce without compromise? THANKS
Hey Claudine ~ I think you could try reducing the olive oil to 3/4 cup or even 2/3 without an issue. Let us know how it goes!
Do you think I could make this in a Bundt pan!?
I wouldn’t recommend it but I recall some readers have had success.
This is such an easy and delicious recipe and I will definitely be making it again! It is so flavorful with the lemon and very light. I baked this recipe in three 6 inch cake pans and paired it with lavender butter cream. It came out fantastic and everyone loved it.
If I wanted to make a basic olive oil cake, would it be okay to not add the lemon juice and lemon zest?
So glad you enjoyed this Tani. You can certainly leave out the lemon zest, but I think you’d need to substitute another liquid for the lemon juice. Possibly more milk.
Best olive oil cake!! I use half lemon half orange. So yummy.
I made this cake and everyone loved it! What flour is best to use to make this gluten free (and would it be the same amount)?
Glad you loved this Olgi. I haven’t tried this with gluten free flour so I can’t really guide you. I usually suggest a good quality gf baking mix, made for substituting all purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio, to start with.
I bake this cake often..We feel so much better using olive oil instead of butter…It is so good with coffee in the morning…
This was amazing, so good!! Do you think this could be made in regular loaf pans, maybe splitting the batter in two? I want to make them as Christmas gifts with cute loaf pans I found…thanks for your advice.
Glad you loved this Desiree. I’m not sure it will bake up in mini loaves, I think you’d have to experiment. Sorry I can’t be more definitive!
Have you ever substituted lime for lemon ?
I haven’t, but I suspect it might have a bitter taste. You’d probably want to use a very mild olive oil.
Could I substitute the whole Mike for a DF option? What would you recommend for the best substitution?
I haven’t tried personally, but I assume almond or soy should work. Coconut would affect the flavor.
I loved how simple this recipe is and more importantly, how delicious it is!!!! Can it be frozen?
Yes, it will freeze well.