Olive Oil Cake

This Lemon Olive Oil Cake recipe is soft and tender, and bakes up perfectly every single time. An easy, one-bowl Mediterranean-style citrus olive oil cake with a simple lemon glaze.

 

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

When it comes to desserts, fresh and light is best. There are always occasions for decadent and indulgent cakes, cheesecakes, and other sweets, but some of our favourite desserts are those super fresh and light, old classic recipes that have stood the test of time. And by that we mean, centuries.

This Olive Oil Cake recipe is a classic olive oil cake, just like the ones made by Mediterranean families for hundreds of years in the area of the world where olive oil is more plentiful and cheaper than butter. If you’ve been a reader of The Busy Baker for awhile you’ll probably know how much we love Mediterranean food, and this olive oil cake recipe? It’s one for the books! It gets rave reviews from everyone who tries it, and we know you’ll love it too! We can’t stop making it!

Olive oil cake is a moist and tender cake made with olive oil instead of butter. It’s usually made with fresh lemons, but other citrus fruits like oranges are also commonly used in olive oil cakes, too. It’s a classic Mediterranean dessert that’s easy to find in many different European countries, especially in the kitchens of the locals who make it at home. The olive oil and the lemon give this cake a rich but fruity flavour and keep it soft and tender for days and days. The sweet lemon zest lifts the whole cake with it’s tanginess and the rugged top and easy, sweet glaze give it a classic, rustic look! It’s delicious served with whatever fresh fruit you have on hand.

There are SO many reasons we LOVE this citrus olive oil cake recipe. Here are just a few!

1. It’s ZESTY & FRESH, thanks to the addition of fresh lemon zest and juice.
2. It calls for SIMPLE INGREDIENTS that you probably already have in your kitchen and pantry.
3. It’s SOFT & MOIST because of the olive oil, and thanks to the Greek yogurt.
4. It STAYS FRESH and moist for several days if kept in an airtight container.
5. It’s VERSATILE – you can serve it plain, with berries, other fruit, or pistachios. You can even add some oranges into the mix for fall and winter, making it a cake that’s perfect for any season!

If you want to make the BEST classic Mediterranean-style olive oil cake, here’s ALL our best pro tips and tricks!

Get as high quality olive oil as you can as the flavour will impact your cake. There’s a reason why olive oil cake in the Mediterranean is so good – the olive oil there is of SUCH high quality as it’s produced locally! A good rule of thumb if you’re buying olive oil at the grocery store is to only buy olive oil that is in opaque (dark glass) bottles (or metal cans). We like to opt for cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.

Both the lemon zest and juice play an important role in the flavour and tanginess of the cake. Using fresh lemons ensures you get the best lemon flavour without the artificial taste of lemon extract or bottle lemon juice.

For a light crumb and a moist cake, stop mixing the batter as soon as everything is incorporated.

It’s easy to forget to zest the lemons before juicing them (you will need both for the glaze as well), so our advice is to zest all your lemons first, making sure to save some zest for decoration at the end.

This will ensure that the glaze will cover the cake nicely and you’ll be able to spread it evenly, creating drips to your preference. We love a rustic look with some drips down the sides and some lemon zest for garnish.

Don’t skip the sprinkle of sugar on the top of the cake. This helps the cake bake evenly and also creates a delicious crackly top crust.

If you’re baking an Olive Oil Cake for the first time or you’re running into trouble, here are some possible issues you might encounter and how to fix or prevent them.

Make sure you don’t over-mix your batter and that you use fresh baking powder. Fresh baking powder helps the cake rise well (if your baking powder is too old, it won’t work as well), and over-mixing makes for a tough, dense cake.

Always test your cake in the middle with a toothpick before you remove it from the oven. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is done. If it’s not done baking, it will sink in the middle as it cools. If your oven isn’t hot enough, the cake can sink while baking. Be sure your oven is at the correct temperature.

Make sure you’re using fresh baking powder and soda and you only mix the batter until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.

Make sure you measure your flour correctly, as too much flour can create a dry, crumbly cake. Over-baking might also cause a crumbly cake, so make sure you toothpick test your cake around the time it’s supposed to be done (or earlier if your oven runs hot) to prevent over-baking.

Here’s everything you’ll need to have on hand in your kitchen to make this olive oil cake (paid links):

• mixing bowls
• measuring cups and spoons
• liquid measuring cups
• Silicone Spatula
• Whisk
• Hand Mixer
• Stand Mixer
• Offset Spatula
• 8 or 9 inch round cake pans
• Microplane Zester
• lemon juicer
• Parchment Paper

Here’s a list of all the ingredients you’ll need to make this lemon olive oil cake recipe (paid links):

For the cake:

• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 lemons zest and juice
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar for the top

For the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 lemon zest and juice

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite easy go-to cake recipe? We’d love to know!

• San Sebastian Cheesecake
• Baked Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken
• Lemon Curd
• Easy Pasta Carbonara
• Olive Garden Salad
• Tabbouleh Salad (Tabouli)
• Greek-Style Pork Souvlaki Skewers
• Low Carb Italian Chopped Salad
• Easy Greek Chicken Souvlaki
• Easy Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• Grilled Peaches
• Greek Yogurt Cheesecake