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
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Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
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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.
I used a 10 inch springform pan, baked about 50 min. The cake was delicious!
I love this recipe so much! It’s the perfect moist lemon olive oil cake. Would it be possible to switch out the lemon with another fruit juice for a different flavor?
I’m so glad you loved this Kelsey. Theoretically you can but the reason lemon works so well is that you get incredible lemony flavor from the zest, as well as the brightness from the juice. I’ve tried an orange version and, while, fine, it doesn’t have the oomph that the lemon version does. If you wanted to use another non-citrus fruit juice I think you’d find the cake lacking in flavor because there would be no zest to boost it. I would love to hear about any experiments you try, because I’m always happy to be proven wrong!
Made this for the first time and it was delicious!! Every one of my friends raved about the cake. It was over in seconds. I followed the instructions and baked until it was done which ended up being about 1hr15mins. Next time I will try about 5-10mins less for a more moist cake. I substitute whole milk for regular 2%
I was out of milk, so I subbed orange juice for extra citrus flavor. My 9 inch cake pans were too shallow, so I used one 9 inch pan and a 6 inch pan. They baked for only about 30 minutes at 350 and turned out perfect. Thank you for this recipe!
Unfortunately, my cake was raw in the middle. I couldn’t use it for the tea book group but the edges were very tasty. I did use an oven thermometer to be sure it was at 350 and I baked it for 55 minutes. The toothpick came out clean. An olive oil cake might not be as reliable for seeing wet batter. I think it may have been a 65 or 70 minute baking time for my oven. I’m so glad to hear that others have not had this happen. I’m still giving this recipe five stars as it was delicious. Now I know for this recipe, I will need to bake it longer.
Baking time is one of the most tricky aspects of any recipe, and really the only thing the recipe can do is give a suggestion. I just made this cake again a week or so ago in my regular (non-convection) oven and it took 55 minutes. But I know others have to bake it longer. I hope you do try again so you can get the full experience!
Would the recipe need to be edited for flax eggs? I’ve only ever used flax eggs for denser bakes like cookies – would appreciate any insight you may have!
I don’t normally bake with flax eggs and don’t have a lot of experience with them so I think you’d have to experiment with them. I think they would make the cake denser, but since it is already a dense cake that might not matter. Let me know if you try!
It worked well (substituted 2 of the eggs with flax – trying to use up excess ground flax on hand) and was a hit 🙂 I’m making it a second time today – Thank you so much for your recipe!
That’s so great to know that the flax works well, thanks Liv!
I have a meyer lemon tree so I’m always looking for recipes. I’ve made this cake several times now and I love it. The texture of the cake itself is great, and the Crunchy crust the sugar gives is just *chef’s kiss*
This recipe is AMAZING. The cake came out PERFECTLY light and fluffy. There’s just enough lemon to make it slightly tart and just enough sugar to balance it out. I used extra virgin olive oil — bec I love the flavor — and it’s spot on. Thank you for sharing!
Olive oil cake is spectacular! I added cherries to the batter and omitted icing sugar. Best cake ever.
That sounds delicious!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. But I do have a question. My cake gets a sugar crust on the top. Am I doing something wrong?
Every oven bakes a little differently, but yes, the sugar you sprinkle over the surface before baking makes a slightly crisp crust on top.