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
More cakes to fall in love with
Lemon Yogurt Breakfast Cake (Ciambella)
Lemon Yogurt Breakfast Cake is an Italian style coffee cake with a soft, pillowy texture and a delicate lemon flavor.
Lemon Drizzle Cake
Lemon Drizzle Cake is an easy lemon bundt with a distinctive crunchy lemon glaze. You only need a few basic ingredients to make this lovely lemony dessert.
Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
A deliciously easy gluten free chocolate cake made with olive oil instead of butter.
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.
Has anyone tried this in a loaf pan?
I haven’t, but I worry that the depth of a loaf cake wouldn’t work with this recipe because it’s so moist.
Can the cake batter be made ahead of time and baked later?
I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure, sorry Nani!
I do love this cake, its the right amout of lemon and oh so moist! BUT I needed to bake it longer , but still so very good!
Never rely on a recipe’s baking time, lol. There is such variation in ovens that you almost always have to go it on your own 🙂
Hello. I just took this cake out if the oven and the top is cracked… like the Mojave desert. What did I do wrong? Baked for 50 minutes. Also, I was worried about all the tiny lumps of flour with simply stirring, so I whisked it a little with every addition of flour.
Smells heavenly tho!.
Thank you,. Camilla
I plan to make this cake, but only have a 10 inch springform pan. What do you suggest? Should I make a 1.5 recipe?
It’s a tricky recipe to mess with, so I’m not sure what to tell you. I haven’t tried it either way, so you’ll have to experiment. I might try it in the 10 inch pan with the same recipe, no adjustments. The cooking time should be shorter.
I just made this cake and am serving it tomorrow. How should i store for best results and should i remove from the springform today or tomorrow?
I’d remove the sides of the pan today, it’s a very moist cake and won’t dry out. I would store loosely covered or under a cake dome, on the counter.
I reduced the sugar by 1/3 and it was still plenty sweet. So moist and delicious and turns out well every time. Also good with half graham flour.
I love graham flour!
I want to try this cake! Can it be made with Meyer lemons or do you need the tarter taste of regular supermarket lemons?
I think it would be delicious with Meyers.
I made this recipe with the same expectations I have making anyone else’s recipes, that I will fail at something. Well folks I did not and boy did this cake surprise me. I’m so in love with this recipe!! Wonderful cake!!
Yay Sarah! thanks for the review 🙂
This cake was SO delicious! Made it for a work potluck and a dinner party, and everyone loved it with several asking for recipe! Had to make a few alterations due to what I had on hand: juice and zest from just 2 lemons, so I added a touch of lemon extract; I love coconut so I added a little coconut extract as well; only had vanilla coconut milk instead of whole milk and that worked fine; divided the olive oil to 1/2c quality extra virgin and 1/2c quality citrus olive oil; I used 6″ cake pans instead of the spring form (mainly because I think small cakes are just cuter but also I needed a dessert for two different occasions), batter was perfect for two cakes. The cook time was about 65min, maybe a bit longer with the two pans, at 350, and I did loosely tent with foil to keep from browning. Lastly, I topped with a powdered sugar glaze (with added sweetened coconut). Thanks for sharing this delicious cake recipe!