Lemon Olive Oil Cake

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5 from 81 votes
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My lemon olive oil cake is super moist, light, and full of tangy, sweet lemon flavor! It needs just 7 ingredients and needs little prep time.

Love simple cake recipes? Try my almond flour cake, orange cake, lemon blueberry cake, and coconut cake next.

lemon olive oil cake.

Have you ever used olive oil to bake cakes? It’s one of my favorite ways to swap out butter and gives cakes a light and moist texture. My lemon olive oil cake recipe is one I make throughout the year or when I have an abundance of lemons to use up!

Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Ingredients Needed
  3. How to make lemon olive oil cake
  4. Arman’s recipe tips
  5. Storage instructions
  6. Frequently asked questions
  7. More lemon desserts to try
  8. Lemon Olive Oil Cake (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

  • Super easy. All you need to do is beat eggs with sugar, add the remaining ingredients, combine, and bake. Easy peasy!
  • Perfect texture. While the cake itself is moist and soft in the middle, it has a light crumb which makes it that much moreish.
  • No olive oil flavor. I promise you, this does not taste anything like olives or the oil.
  • Perfect for any occasion. This cake fits just right in a fancy dinner party, a family gathering, or a brunch.
olive oil lemon cake.

Ingredients Needed

  • Eggs. Please use room temperature eggs as it makes all the difference when combining the ingredients. Unlike other lemon cakes, you won’t need to separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.
  • Baking powder. Helps to make the cake fluffy and gives it some rice.
  • Confectioners’s sugar. If your sugar has clumps, I suggest sifting it first.
  • All-purpose flour. I tested this cake with gluten-free flour and wholewheat flour and didn’t love the texture.
  • Milk. Whole milk, non-fat milk, or plant based alternatives.
  • Olive oil. The signature ingredient! Either light or standard olive oil works, but please do me a favor- use the BEST quality olive oil you can find!
  • Lemons. Fresh lemons, please!
  • Salt. Just a pinch to balance out the other ingredients.
  • Vanilla extract. Optional, but if you like cakes with a subtle vanilla note. I typically omit it for this specific cake.

How to make lemon olive oil cake

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

eggs and sugar in bowl.

Step 1- Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy.

how to make lemon olive oil cake.

Step 2- Make the cake batter. Add the lemon, olive oil, and milk. Fold in the flour and baking powder.

how to make olive oil cake.

Step 3- Bake the cake in a preheated oven for 35 minutes or until done.

baked olive oil cake.

Step 4- Cool and decorate. Let the cake cool completely before dusting it with more confectioners’ sugar.

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Avoid overmixing cake batter. Too much mixing after adding flour will result in a chewy and dense cake. Once combined, pour it into the cake tin and bake it immediately.  
  • Let the cake cook down. Don’t cut into the cake right after it is out of the oven; wait for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cake from the tin, transfer it to a cooling rack, and allow it to cool down. Only then cut into it. Remember that it is too fragile to handle when hot.
  • Avoid opening the oven during baking. Let your cake bake undisturbed for a full 35 minutes. Trust me, you don’t want a sunken cake.
  • Use other citrus. Swap out the lemon for orange, limes, or grapefruit.
  • Add flavor boosters like almond extract, or add a lemon glaze using a mix of lemon juice and maple syrup.

Storage instructions

To store. Leftovers will keep well at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for up to one week.

To freeze. Place slices of the cake in a shallow container and store in the freezer for up to two months.

whole lemon olive oil cake recipe.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make this without eggs?

I tested this cake using egg substitutes, and while it didn’t have the best structure, the texture remained relatively similar. Opt for flax eggs or a pre-formulated egg replacer.

More lemon desserts to try

lemon olive oil cake recipe.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

5 from 81 votes
My lemon olive oil cake is super moist, light, and full of tangy, sweet lemon flavor! It needs just 7 ingredients and needs little prep time. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Servings: 12 slices
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Video

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Beat the eggs with sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add milk and extra-virgin olive oil. Add lemon zest and lemon juice and whisk until smooth. Finally, fold in the flour and baking powder. Stir until you have a smooth batter.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out just clean.
  • Cool the cake for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan and transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Dust the cake with some powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

TO STORE. Lemon olive cake stores well in the refrigerator for up to a week.
TO FREEZE. To preserve it, tightly wrap or place it in a freezer-safe bag to store it in the freezer for up to six months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 181kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSodium: 57mgPotassium: 35mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 47IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 20g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Originally published June 2023, updated and republished July 2024

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I am actually scared to follow this recipe as olive oil and lemon would be so weird to me. I could try but I dont know if I will like it.

  2. 5 stars
    I love your recipes. I made your Lemon Olive Oil cake but it didn’t rise. Could it because I baked it in an 8 inch spring-form pan? Thank you,

    l

  3. 5 stars
    Could you specify measurements in grams or mls rather than cups because every country has different size cup measures

  4. 5 stars
    Loved it… taste amazing!!

    Switch the olive oil for regular oil and it came out amazing ❤️❤️

  5. 5 stars
    Very Tasty! was gone in the blink of an eye
    Used gluten free flour, replaced each egg with: 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon vinegar
    glazed with lemon juice mixed withy powdered sugar.
    Definite do over!

    1. 5 stars
      Could you please write weights of ingredients in grams because there are different size cup measures according to which country you live in.

  6. Arman, your recipes are amazing! Question… can I use almond flour with this recipe to make it low carb?

      1. Can I use avocado oil instead? or does it not go with lemon? If njt lemon think making this sane cake using oranges w rhe avocado oil be good? Not sure i have any good olive oil lying around. Would it get the sane texture and moisture?

  7. Hello,
    I was wondering if coconut oil and almond flour can be used instead for the lemon cake. I love lemon anything.
    Thank you.
    Subhadhra Gunn

    1. 5 stars
      Thank you, Arman. This cake was delicious. I made it with gluten free flour and oat milk. And also a lemon glaze. It was an easy to follow recipe. I have many food allergies and this was perfect for my lemon cravings.