Lemon olive oil cake is a deliciously moist and tender Mediterranean style lemon cake perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!
what is an olive oil cake? (ciambellone)
Olive oil cakes are made with olive oil instead of butter or other vegetable oil as the primary fat ~ they have been a special part of celebrating the olive harvest across the Mediterranean. Olive oil adds a subtle fruity flavor to cake, as well as plenty of moisture ~ olive oil cakes stay moist for days! I love this cake so much I’ve made a chocolate olive oil cake, too!
does this cake taste like olive oil?
- That’s going to depend on the kind of olive oil you use, but generally speaking this recipe won’t produce a cake that tastes strongly of olive oil.
- ‘Pure’ or ‘regular’ olive oil is what I used and could only barely discern it in the background, which was perfect with the lemon.
- If you want a stronger taste, you can use ‘extra virgin’ olive oil, which is unrefined and has a bold olive flavor.
- If you don’t want any hint of olive oil flavor, you can use one of the ‘light’ olive oils on the market now, or any other kind of neutral cooking oil you like.
- The combination of the lemon, vanilla, and a hint of olive oil makes for a simple but complexly flavored cake.
this cake does not disappoint on the lemon front, either!
If you’re a lemon lover like me, you’ve probably made some lemon cakes or desserts in the past that just didn’t deliver on the lemon flavor. It can be a challenge, and I’m always striving to make my lemon recipes sing with that tart lemony flavor you and I love. Sometimes I use lemon extract to achieve that result, but here I’ve used three whole lemons and their zest for an unmistakable citrusy punch, no additional flavoring necessary.
tips for baking a great lemon olive oil cake
- Grease your springform pan well, and make sure it’s in good condition. This batter is on the liquid-y side, so you may want to place a large baking sheet underneath your pan to catch any drips. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan tightly with foil to prevent leaks.
- Don’t skimp on the lemon zest, make sure you zest the whole lemon and that you get at least 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.
- 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.
why this is the best lemon olive oil cake ever
I set out to make the perfect version of a classic lemon olive oil cake here, and I think I succeeded! Here’s why:
- The amount of oil is perfect, just enough to ensure a super moist texture, but not so much that you get an oily cake.
- I’ve also packed it with plenty of lemon flavor, complimented by aromatic vanilla extract which pairs beautifully with that hint of olive oil in the background
we can’t get enough lemon cakes
- Lemon Chiffon Cake
- Lemon Crunch Cake
- Mary Berry’s Lemon Drizzle Cake
- Lemon Yogurt Breakfast Cake (Ciambella)
- Blueberry Lemon Cake
- Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Poppy Seed Frosting
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
My lemon olive oil cake is a moist and tender cake with a surprisingly bright lemon flavor.
Servings: 12 servings
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 350F. Prepare a 9" springform pan by greasing the bottom and the sides well, and lining the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Wrap the outside with foil to prevent leaks.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, eggs, and sugar.
- Add the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Whisk briefly to combine.
- Sift together the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour. Alternating with the 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 2 tbsp of granulated sugar evenly over the top.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes. The cake should be risen and starting to turn a bit golden brown on the top. Note: ovens vary greatly and you may need to bake your cake longer to get it done in the center. I recommend laying a loose piece of foil over the top of your cake if yours seems to be getting very brown towards the end of cooking.
- 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
A Note About Baking Time: Home ovens are not very precise. Many home ovens can be off by 25°F or more from the set temperature. This means that if you set your oven to 350°F it might actually be at 325°F. Monitor baking time closely, as it can vary. Insert a toothpick to check for doneness—it should come out clean or with a few crumbs. If there is obvious wet batter clinging to it, bake your cake a little longer.
Nutrition
Calories: 366 kcal · Carbohydrates: 43 g · Protein: 4 g · Fat: 20 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 14 g · Trans Fat: 0.01 g · Cholesterol: 49 mg · Sodium: 266 mg · Potassium: 99 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 26 g · Vitamin A: 101 IU · Vitamin C: 4 mg · Calcium: 44 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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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.