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.
This lemon olive oil cake is unreal — soft, fragrant, and glowing with that bright kiss of lemon that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite. Every time I bake it, it disappears faster than I can set it down. And honestly, the scent is so heavenly I’ve halfway convinced myself to pat a few crumbs behind my ears just so it follows me around all day.
Can I use coconut milk?
Yes.
Hi Sue, I want to make this cake, but I have few questions…
1. I have only extra virgin olive oil, can I substitute it with any other light cooking oil?
2. Can lime be used instead of lemon?
3.Can I use regular 9″pan instead of springform pan?
4. Can I add some freeze dried blueberries to it?
Sorry for so many questions
Hi Disha ~ Yes, you can use any other light cooking oil. You can try lime, it’s got a sharper flavor and the zest can be bitter, so don’t overdo that. You can use a regular 9″ pan, but be sure the sides are high enough to contain the batter (don’t fill more than 3/4 full.) Freeze dried blueberries should be fine, they won’t add any extra moisture. Keep us posted on your results!
Can this be made in a 10 inch Bundt cake pan? Also, would it be too sweet if drizzled with lemon icing?
I don’t recommend the bundt because I think the cake is too moist to hold up to flipping out of the pan. You can do a drizzle, but it doesn’t need it.
I love this recipe and make it for new Moms all the time.
I am baking one tomorrow for another new mom but she is GF. Can I use any 1:1 gluten free flour? Thanks!
I personally haven’t tried this but I believe readers have used gf blends with success. I’ll circle back if I have time to scan the comments and see anything useful.
Hi again ~ and yes, readers have reported good results using a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour in this cake. I’d choose a good cup-for-cup blend that includes xanthan gum, such as King Arthur Measure for Measure. Just know the cake is already very moist and tender, so the gluten-free version may be a little more delicate.
Thank you so much!
A neighbor was giving out extra lemons from their tree and I was looking for a yummy recipe. This turned out perfectly! I didn’t have whole milk so I subbed it with 1/2 cup full fat Greek yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup almond milk. I also saw others mentioned using less sugar, and I usually like recipes less sweet as well. I used 1 cup sugar instead of 1.5 cups. Turned out delicious and I’m bookmarking this recipe to use again!
Curious- can you freeze this?
I’m so glad you love it and yes, it freezes well!
I followed the ingredients and measurements of this recipe exactly and used the 9″ springform pan. The batter was wet and runny, but I was trusting the process and didn’t alter anything. After 55 minutes, toothpick came out wet and cake jiggled. Added a thermometer to the oven to see if temp was the problem. I had it set to 350F and thermometer read 375F. Baked for 10 more minutes. Wasn’t jiggling when I took it out and toothpick had minimal crumbs. After allowing it to cool I took it out of the springform and the middle bottom was not cooked/set. I honestly don’t know what went wrong. I’ll probably try again because the flavor of the cake is good and so many people in the comments have positive experiences. I’ll plan to hold back 1/3 cup olive oil, decrease sugar by 1/2 cup, and increase flour by 1/2 cup.
I will be remaking this! So simple and it turned out perfect! Moist and not too sweet.
One of my go-to easy cakes. I also cut back on the sugar to 1 C. Add a tsp almond extract and extra grated lemon never is a bad thing.
Gorgeous cake! But I did make 2 modifications. I could not wrap my head around 1.5 cups of sugar, so I halved it, as I do with most syrupy sweet recipes. And I halved the milk (I used 2%) so it wouldn’t be such a wet batter. Turned out perfectly! Beautiful texture and flavour.