In this luscious, tender-crumbed cake, fruity olive oil wraps around the bright, zingy notes of lemon to produce a deep, rich flavor.
Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and very low in saturated fat thanks to replacing butter with olive oil, it’s a true Mediterranean masterpiece. (And you can’t taste the olive oil!)
This cake is super quick and easy to prepare. It makes an impressive dinner-party dessert—especially served with a spoonful of lemon-curd–flavored yogurt, fresh berries, or a drizzle of raspberry or strawberry coulis on the side—but is just as satisfying as an afternoon treat served with a cozy cup of tea.
Lemon Olive Cake
Servings:
Calories: 303kcal
Perfect as dessert or as a cozy snack with afternoon tea
Print Recipe
Equipment
- 9-inch round cake tin, at least 2 inches high ideally a spring form for ease of unmolding
- electric whisk or balloon whisk
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 tbsp lemon zest freshly grated on a microplane zester; ideally from untreated lemons
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- â…” cup extra virgin olive oil mild flavored
- ¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend; I like King Arthur Mills' Measure-for-Measure
- â…” cup almond flour finely ground
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup milk any kind
Glaze (recipe can be halved for a thinner layer of icing)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
Lemony yogurt cream
- 1 cup plain yogurt Greek or regular, but should be thick & smooth
- 3-4 tbsp lemon curd I love Trader Joe's lemon curd
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk lemon zest and sugar until combined. Add eggs, oil, lemon juice, and vanilla, whisking until well combined.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, whisking until just combined. Whisk in the milk. If using gluten-containing flour, be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not open the oven during the first 30 minutes of baking time as this can cause it to sink in the middle. A toothpick, bamboo skewer or metal cake tester should come out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze
- Whisk powdered sugar & lemon juice until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more lemon juice to thin or more powdered sugar to thicken.
- Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the pan and add the glaze. I pour it over the top and spread it across the top and down the sides. Allow the glaze to firm up before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice (without yogurt cream) | Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 1mg