Lemon Olive Oil Cake
This lemon olive oil cake has a soft, moist crumb with fresh lemon juice and zest. The simple batter comes together in one bowl without a mixer and can be finished with powdered sugar or lemon glaze.
Ingredients
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 120 ml mild extra virgin olive oil
- 120 ml whole milk
- 60 ml fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional finish
- Powdered sugar for dusting
For the optional lemon glaze
- 120 g powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Whisk 3 large eggs with 200 g granulated sugar in a large bowl for about 1 minute, until slightly pale and thicker.
- Whisk in 120 ml mild extra virgin olive oil, 120 ml whole milk, 60 ml fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. The mixture may look slightly curdled; this is normal.
- Sift 200 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt directly over the wet ingredients. Whisk gently until the batter is smooth and just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the lemon olive oil cake for 40–45 minutes, until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer it to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar, or whisk 120 g powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice until smooth and drizzle it over the cake.
Notes
Choose a mild oil: Mild extra-virgin olive oil keeps the lemon prominent without giving the cake an overpowering olive-oil flavour.
Keep the pan size: The tested 8-inch pan gives the cake its intended depth; another size will change the baking time.
Cool before finishing: Let the cake cool completely so the glaze sets on the surface instead of soaking into a warm crumb.
Nutrition
Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg
