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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Hi! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I will try it as originally written first, but just wondering if you think I could substitute the lemon with the same amount of another citrus, like grapefruit or orange? Would I need to change anything else, because lemon is more acidic? I want to try making an orange cardamom flavor sometime 🙂
I encourage you to experiment. I have tried orange and was disappointed with the bland flavor. Grapefruit is an interesting option. Theoretically other citrus will work, so give them a try!
I can not find the notes about the best olive oil to use, I have several in my kitchen
It’s under the heading “Does This Cake Taste Like 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.
My girlfriend made this cake for a friends birthday and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. I wanted to make it for my family when I visit in about a week, but only have time to bake it tomorrow. Do you know if I can freeze this cake? Thank you!
yes, Let the cake cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap, then again in foil.
I baked this cake three layers high using a slightly smaller tin for my husband’s 70th birthday. It was absolutely amazing! Everyone wanted the recipe! Perfect celebration cake!
Wow! You’re the first I’ve heard of that has done that, awesome!
I made this for a ton of people a few months ago and everyone raved. I’m back today because I need the recipe again. I’m going to try it in a loaf pan and hope for the best.
Oh interesting, let us know how the loaf works. I’m not sure about the center getting baked through in that shape pan.
Was lovely! Definitely olive oil-forward like it says, so use good tasting olive oil. I didn’t think it tasted that strongly of lemon, so maybe add more zest if you want really strong lemon flavor. Mine cooked in 55 minutes exactly. (I had seen the reviews about it needing more time and was prepared for that but didn’t need it.) Very delicious and moist.
Very simple recipe, came together quickly with strong lemon taste! Whole family was a fan.
There is something definitely wrong with this recipe and I think the author has missed some key instruction. I want to share that I bake a lot and while Im no expert- i humbly say that some instruction is missed or not double quoted. I followed instructions to the T and have a usa pan bakeware and also a good oven. The cake rose higher from the sides first and center sort of shrunk . At 55 mins knife came out clean but the cake was very rubbery in texture. I wish we could attach photos for me to show. Was it key to not overmix the batter? I used my kitchen aid stand. Is it better if we simply fold it in? Not sure. But i am extremely disappointed as I wasted a lot of raw material. I noticed others have also complained about cake taking too long to cook. I don’t think thats onky related to oven temperature.
This recipe is tried and true, but very specific, so I think there was some sort of ingredient, pan, or measuring issue, I’m afraid. I would need more info to understand what went wrong, just email me and we can troubeshoot.
I followed the recipe carefully but I thought it was too liquid as I put it in the oven. The cake didn’t rise enough so was very stodgy and inedible. You didn’t mention Fan oven difference either. Disappointing.
Sorry this didn’t work out for you Trish. The batter is very thin, that’s to be expected. I don’t use or recommend a fan oven for this cake, the circulating air can cause the outside of the cake to set too quickly, before the center has time to fully cook ~ which can leave it a bit dense or “stodgy” inside.
Nice to learn this today, am very ready to try