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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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’ve tried several olive oil cake recipes, and this one turned out so so well. Delicious, moist, and comes together quickly. I used gluten-free flour, low-fat milk, and halved the sugar. I think I could have used even less sugar, it was still plenty sweet. With my oven right at 350 (I used a thermometer as recommended, my oven actually had to be set to 390 to get to 350), it took exactly 50 minutes. Will be making this again!
I made this cake twice for my neighbors for Christmas. They seemed to really enjoy it. I also put a side dish of cranberry sauce next to it. I think i need to make one for myself or try with a different citrus flavor. Maybe grapefruit or tangerine
Can I use a deep decorative bundt pan since I do not have a springform?
I don’t think that will work Geri, the cake is too delicate. It works best in a plain pan.
I made this for a Happy Hour and everyone absolutely loved it. I’m making it again for a Christmas party. I make it with gluten free flour (King Arthur’s Measure for Measure) – perfect!
Can you substitute the flour with gluten free flour?
Yes, a good cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend should work here, just be sure it includes xanthan gum and expect a slightly more tender crumb.
I would love to try this, but I do not have a springform pan, only a regular 9” cake pan. Can I make this using the cake pan, or is a springform pan required?
You can make it in a regular cake pan, just make sure the sides are high enough to contain the batter. You probably won’t want to try to flip the delicate cake out of your pan, so plan to slice and serve right from the pan.
How tall exactly do the sides of a regular cake pan need to be for this recipe?
At least 2 inches.
Yes, but line the pan with parchment paper and oil that liberally
Love this recipe! Just wanted to ask if it’s possible to substitute the whole milk with an alternative like oat milk?
Yes that’s fine.
This turned out great thank you!! I never really bake but this was simple enough to follow. I had to put mine in for an extra 10 minutes but I just waited until it was golden. I used 2% instead of whole milk and it was still very moist.
I make this recipe again and again it’s so good!
disappointed. Flavour was fine. it appeared cooked – cocktail stick came out clean after an hour and a half but it sunk. It was an awful lot of liquid – don’t think it needed the milk
Thanks for trying the cake — sorry it didn’t work out perfectly this time. Because this recipe uses a fairly wet, olive-oil–based batter, the center needs to bake through fully in order to set properly and avoid sinking. If your top was golden and a toothpick came out ‘clean,’ the edges might have set before the middle. I recommend baking a little longer — even if it’s 5–10 minutes more — or lowering the oven rack and tenting the top with foil so the top doesn’t brown too fast. An oven thermometer helps: many home ovens run cooler than they say. Also, make sure you’re using the proper pan size (my recommended 9″ springform) so it’s not too deep