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
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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. 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 or 375F. 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’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