Olive Oil Cake
Olive Oil Cake
This Olive Oil Cake recipe is a classic favorite for the entire family. It's light, moist, and fluffy and comes with the most airiest texture. It’s also well balanced between subtle tartness from the lemon zest and sweet flavors as the olive oil is paired with fresh berries on top. A definite crowd-pleasing treat for any occasion and it's so easy to whip together in under 1 hour. Vegan option.
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A good slice of cake is a must on a daily basis, am I right? Haha. I don't know, but there's something so comforting and calming about a good slice of cake and this rich Olive Oil Cake recipe is one of those sweet treats that truly meets the criteria. In this olive oil cake, I love the subtle hint of lemon that burst through every bite and works so well with olive oil. But any citrus like orange, lemon, or lime could work so well for this cake recipe.
If you're a fan of baking layered cake, then I recommend trying my Lemon Blueberry Olive Oil Cake or this Best Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream is you're a lover of ice cream. If you haven't you're truly missing out. It's one of my most popular cakes and it's so rich and full of lemon and blueberry flavors---which makes the perfect combo. Of course, I also love a good slice of Apple Cinnamon Olive Oil Cake or Birthday Strawberry Shortcake Cake is I'm feeling fancy! Either way, this is the perfect dessert with a good cup of coffee or tea for a really chill moment.
What is Olive Oil Cake?
The best part of an olive oil cake is that it doesn't use any butter and only uses olive oil, hence it's name. Basically, olive oil cake is a signature dessert in places like Italy and is often citrus-based like lemon, but can be made into almost any flavor like chocolate, etc.
Jump to:
- What is Olive Oil Cake?
- Why Do People Like Olive Oil Cake?
- Ingredients Needed
- How to Make Your Own Homemade Cake Flour
- How to Make this Cake
- Tips for Making the Best Cake
- How to Know If Your Baking Powder + Baking Soda are Fresh
- Common Q + A's for this Olive Oil Cake
- How to Make this a Lemon Olive Oil Cake
- More Delicious Cake Recipes to Try Next!
- MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
- Olive Oil Cake
Why Do People Like Olive Oil Cake?
This is often the biggest question asked when it comes to olive oil cake, specifically form those who may have not tried it before. Generally, people enjoy the fruity flavor that olive oil cake usually offers, while others might love the fact that unlike regular cake, olive oil cake bakes up to be loftier and stays moist longer. The reasons vary, but for good reason!
Ingredients Needed
Here's what you need to make this easy, rich olive oil cake batter:
- Olive oil. Choose a nice high-quality oil because you will be able to taste it in the cake! I love using EVOO (aka Extra Virgin Olive Oil) for a bold flavor. This keeps the cake moist and eliminates the need for butter.
- All-purpose flour. I like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s organic flour, which add great texture. Again, quality matters! For a fluffier cake, you can substitute with cake flour.
- Baking powder for leavening. This is important in conjunction with the acidity of the cake and it's rising.
- Cane sugar. I use organic sugar. Any granulated sugar works! This is a light sweetener best for most cakes.
- Brown sugar. I use organic sugar. This also adds flavor and moistness to the cake. The molasses in brown sugar prevents cakes from drying out and creates a softer texture.
- Eggs. These should be at room temperature so they mix evenly into the batter.
- Vanilla extract for a bit of warmth and enhanced flavor profile.
- Lemon zest. This adds a nice citrus flavor to the olive oil cake. You can also use lime or orange zest if desired.
- Buttermilk. This helps the cake become moist and with the perfect texture. You'll need heavy cream (or plant-based milk) + lemon juice to create your buttermilk. You can also substitute with Greek yogurt to give it moisture and fat.
- Powdered sugar. I love a light sifted powdered sugar topping for this cake because it speaks for itself! Add fresh berries for an added treat!
How to Make Your Own Homemade Cake Flour
If you're in a pinch and you don't have any cake flour on hand and you only have all-purpose flour---no worries! You can still achieve that extra fluffiness that cake flour would by simply adding 1 teaspoon of arrowroot or starch to your flour before whisking.
How to Make this Cake
This olive oil cake recipe can be whipped together in just 45 minutes total by the following steps:
- Make your buttermilk by combining your choice of milk with the lemon juice and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes until it thickens.
- Mix the dry ingredients together to combine.
- Beat together the olive oil and both sugars followed by the eggs and vanilla.
- Add in the lemon zest and buttermilk followed by the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour in your prepared cake pan and bake until golden brown and the center is done.
- Remove from oven and let it cool slightly. Add sifted sugar and fresh berries.
- Enjoy!
Tips for Making the Best Cake
Like with many other cakes, when making this olive oil cake, the following tips will ensure that you have the best results possible:
Use cake flour when you can. When it comes to the main ingredient of this entire olive oil cake recipe—-the flour, I enjoy using Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour, which is ideal for all kinds of baking, including this one. However, I do occasionally use Super-Fine Cake Flour which adds a nice airiness and fluffiness to your cakes as well.
Always use room temperature eggs. This helps to ensure that the eggs mix in with the other ingredients better since the egg yolks will be more softened at room temp.
Always use high-quality ingredients. This is true for any cake, including this one. Having quality olive oil, vanilla extract, flour, eggs, etc. makes the difference!
Use oil to grease your pan. Usually, butter is the staple for greasing any cake pan, however, for this recipe, it's best to use oil to ensure that it doesn't stick.
Mix just until combined but well. While over-mixing your cake batter is definitely a thing, ensuring that the batter is in fact smooth and lump-free is important.
How to Know If Your Baking Powder + Baking Soda are Fresh
Baking is such a science, but more importantly because certain ingredients like your leaveners (aka baking powder + baking soda) are completely fresh so that your olive oil cake (and other baked goods) fully rise and bake through nicely.
Incase you weren't aware, there's an easy to double check both the baking powder and baking soda. Here's what you need:
BAKING SODA HACK:
-Add 1 teaspoon baking soda with ¼ cup vinegar or lemon juice in a bowl and if it's fresh, the mixture should "bubble/fizz". If no bubble/fizz is present, then your baking soda needs to be replaced.
BAKING POWDER:
-Add 1 teaspoon baking powder with ¼ cup Hot tap water in a bowl and if it's fresh, the mixture should "bubble/fizz". If no bubble/fizz is present, then your baking powder needs to be replaced.
Common Q + A's for this Olive Oil Cake
Keep cake leftovers stored for up to 4 days in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container to keep the cake from drying out. You can also freeze the cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the cake on the counter.
Absolutely! To make this cake entirely dairy-free + vegan, simply omit the eggs and be sure to use plant-based milk to create your "buttermilk".
When it comes to using olive oil, it's always important to use a high-quality oil which gives you the most robust flavor. I love using EVOO (aka Extra virgin olive oil) for the best chemical stability when it comes to baking or cooking, however, you can also use regular olive oil. In addition, artisan-style oil can add even more flavor. Personally, I enjoy using Brightland's oils which come in various flavor profiles like basil, chili oil, etc. which adds so much flavor.
Definitely! In all honesty, I tend to use Cake Flour by itself when I decide not to mix it in with All-Purpose Flour. Using Cake Flour alone makes your cake even more soft, fluffy, and moist! Of course, you can always use All-Purpose Flour solely if you don’t have Cake Flour.
Basically, you only need to mix your cake batter until "just combined"---meaning that everything is smooth and you no longer can see the individual ingredients added.
This issue can occur for TWO reasons: the first being that you didn't allow the cake to cool enough before removing it. I always recommend letting it cool for at least 10-15 minutes before removing it and slicing. Secondly, the issue could be that the pan wasn't greased well with the right base. I like to grease this cake with olive oil or some kind of neutral oil + add cake pan parchment paper to the bottom for the easiest removal.
Although not significantly lower in calories compared to regular cakes, overall olive oil cakes are healthier.
With this recipe, I chose to lightly sift my cake with powdered sugar and then with fresh berries (specifically strawberries because I love them). Of course, this elegant treat can be enjoyed all by itself or topped with whipped cream, fruit or ice cream.
How to Make this a Lemon Olive Oil Cake
If you're a fan of lemon flavor, then you'd probably want to make this olive oil cake more lemony. It's so easy to do! Simple add an additional teaspoon of lemon zest and 1 freshly-squeezed lemon. This should add enough lemon flavor for a nice rich, citrusy feel.
More Delicious Cake Recipes to Try Next!
- Vegan Vanilla Dinosaur Birthday Cake
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vanilla Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Vegan Funfetti Cake + Vanilla Buttercream
- Lemon Strawberry Layer Cake
- Vanilla Yogurt Cake
- Honey Lavender Sheet Cake
- Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake with Raspberry Compote
MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
If you tried this Olive Oil Cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you.
Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1 cup Extra virgin olive oil (See Q + A section for best olive oil options)
- 2 cups organic all-purpose flour
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- ¾ cup organic brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsps baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temp.
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup Buttermilk (You can use heavy cream or your fave plant-based milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice; See Notes)
TOPPINGS:
- Organic powdered sugar, sifted
- Fresh berries
Instructions
TO MAKE THE CAKE:
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease (w/ olive oil or spray) and line the bottom with parchment round paper of a 9-inch round cake pan.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt until combined. Set aside.
- In a bowl, add the olive oil and sugars, beating them together using a hand-mixer (on high-speed), until wet and combined, about 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce the speed and add in the eggs (one at a time), vanilla, milk, and the lemon zest followed by the dry ingredients, mixing everything together until well combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. NOTE: DO NOT over-mix!
- Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading everything around for a perfect evenness.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the cake comes out clean when tested with a toothpick or butter knife.
REMOVE CAKE + LET IT COOL:
- Once done, remove the cake from the oven and let cool for about 10-15 minutes before carefully lifting it from the pan and unto a serving platter or plate.
- Top with sifted powdered sugar and/or fresh berries, if desired.
- Slice and serve with a bit of ice cream or whipped cream for an extra treat!
- Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Keep cake leftovers stored for up to 4 days in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container to keep the cake from drying out. You can also freeze the cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the cake on the counter.
- FLOUR: You can also use cake flour in place of all-purpose flour for a fluffier texture.
- DAIRY BUTTERMILK: Add 1 cup of organic heavy cream + 1 tablespoon lemon juice and let sit for 10 minutes, until it thickens. For the dairy-free buttermilk, mix together your plant-based milk with the lemon juice.
- VEGAN OPTION: To make this cake entirely dairy-free + vegan, simply omit the eggs and be sure to use plant-based milk to create your "buttermilk".
Nutrition
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