Lemon Olive Oil Cake
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A delicious one bowl, and one tin, tasty lemon and olive oil cake that is light, packed full of flavour and very moreish. Mix together in less than ten minutes, and bake within the hour.
Notes from The Patisserie
If you are looking for a beautiful moist, light and flavourful lemon and olive oil cake, then this is the recipe for you. This cake is made with oil instead of butter to create an extra level of moisture that is unmatched. The crumb is soft, it’s packed full of the citrus zing that I and so many others adore, and it is perfect for baking throughout the year.
I have had countless requests for an oil based cake, and with olive oil becoming more and more popular again (finally!) I wanted to create a cake that is just on another level to the rest of my recipes. Whether you are serving this as it is, for a special occasion, or as a simple dessert, it works every time.
What makes olive oil cakes different?
Unlike a stereotypical cake that uses butter, sugar, eggs and flour, this cake has a new level of richness and moisture that comes from the oil. As olive oil remains liquid at room temperature, it helps create that softer crumb texture for the sponge that you will all adore.
Olive oil also adds a subtle depth of flavour, that pairs perfectly with citrus fruits, such as lemon. This style of cake is Mediterranean in style as they often use olive oil as a staple in sweet and savoury recipes, but it remains light in baking despite some people thinking it could be heavier.
Ingredient notes and tips
- Oil – a light and fruity olive oil works best – I just use pure olive oil. I avoid a strong flavoured oil as it can taste a little peppery and over power the lemon flavour
- Eggs – I use medium eggs, so I use three eggs. You can use two large eggs instead.
- Sugar – I use caster sugar as I find it works better with the flavours, a golden caster sugar or light brown soft sugar can also work, but it will change the flavour profile of the cake as they have a natural molasses undertone.
- Vanilla – this is optional, but I find it adds a nice level to the cake
- Lemons – it’s important to use unwaxed lemons, otherwise you will be using wax not zest in your sponge. I use medium sized lemons, but large lemons will work – feel free to increase the amount of zest if you want.
- Salt – a sprinkle of salt brings out the flavour of the oil and lemon, and balances the flavour.
- Flour – I use self raising flour as it’s readily available in the UK. If you don’t have it, you can use plain flour and added 2tsp of baking powder (whisk this into the flour before baking)
- Buttermilk – this add’s another level of lightness and texture to the sponge. You can make your own with whole milk and one tablespoon of lemon juice (whisk this into the milk, and leave it to sit for five minutes before baking with)
Top tips for making the best olive oil cake
The Cake Tin – Baking is always based around temperatures, and tin sizes, as everything is based on volume. I recommend using a deep 8″ round cake tin for this (I never use sandwich tins). If you change the tin size, the baking time and possibly texture will change. If you want to use a square tin, the equivalent size without changing anything would be a 7″ square tin.
Don’t over mix – In any cake mixture, it’s best to not over mix. This cake, as it’s liquid based, can just be made in a bowl with a whisk. You do not need to use an electric mixer. Often, using an electric mixer can cause the mix to be over-mixed.
Room temperature ingredients – I always use room temperature ingredients, unless I specify otherwise. One really important one is to use room temperature eggs. Using cold eggs can make the cake sink during baking
FAQs
Yes, for sure. You can switch the lemon for orange, lime, or similar. I just do a straight swap
You can, but it will likely sink due to having a very runny cake mixture.
You can – I use fresh lemons because I want to use the lemon zest, so it uses up the juice as well, but you can use bottle juice.
You can, but it feels a little less authentic in flavour. However, it works well to straight swap the zest and juice for 2-3tsp lemon extract.
Lemon Olive Oil Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 175 ml olive oil
- 3 medium eggs
- 225 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 75 ml lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 200 g self raising flour
- 175 ml buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan and line a deep 8" round cake tin with parchment paper
- Add the oil, eggs and sugar to a large bowl and whisk to combine
- Add the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice and whisk again
- Add the flour, salt, and buttermilk and mix again
- Pour into the lined tin and bake for 40-50 minutes
- Leave to cool fully in the tin
- Remove from the tin and dust with icing sugar to decorate
Notes
- This cake will last for 4-5+ days
- This cake will freeze for 3+ months
- I use this 8″ deep cake tin
Storage and Freezing
This cake will last for 4-5+ days at room temperature for best results – it can go in the fridge, but the texture will solidify more. I would use a cake tin, or cake box.
This cake freezes really well for 3+ months. I personally would double wrap the cake in cling film, and then also in foil to protect it well in the freezer. Defrost before serving.