Olive Oil Cake

Indulge in the heavenly flavors of this citrus Olive Oil Cake recipe. This moist and tender cake is a light dairy free coffee cake with a subtle hint of lemon zest and juice infused throughout.

Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, the step-by-step instructions and helpful tips will guide you to baking this dairy free coffee cake successfully. Don't miss out on this delightful treat that's sure to impress family and friends.

Why you'll love this

Unique Twist on a Classic

Our Olive Oil Cake puts a unique twist on the classic cake recipe. The inclusion of high-quality olive oil adds a subtle richness and depth of flavor that sets it apart from traditional cakes.

Moist and Tender Texture

One bite of this citrus Olive Oil Cake will be impressed by its moist and tender texture. The olive oil and lemon juice keeps the cake incredibly moist while adding a subtle richness that enhances each bite of this coffee cake.

Delicate Citrus Aroma

The addition of citrus zest and juice in this recipe gives the Olive Oil Cake a delightful citrus aroma. It adds a refreshing and tangy note that perfectly complements the richness of the olive oil.

Versatile and Adaptable

This Olive Oil Cake is incredibly versatile and adaptable. You can customize it by adding your favorite toppings, such as fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar, or a dollop of whipped cream. This flexibility allows you to create a unique presentation and tailor the cake to your taste preferences.

How to prepare the Olive Oil Cake

• Create the crumb: Mix the warm honey until the olive oil and honey are smooth and add in the flour until it's a rough crumble.
• Ribbon those eggs and sugar: Beat until well combined and they form a ribbon.
• Add the lemon flavor: The juice and zest will be the heartbeat of this cake.
• Mix the dry ingredients: Combine in a separate bowl.
• Combine the dry and wet ingredients: Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a cake batter has formed.
• Drizzle in the olive oil: Add in the olive oil in installments while mixing until fully combined.
• Pour into the cake tin: Smooth out the cake batter and top with the honey crumb.
• Bake: We want this perfectly golden and a skewer clean.
• Allow to cool: Once cool, slice and serve.

Ingredients and substitutions for the best Olive Oil Cake

• Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar gives our cake it’s sweetness without additional flavor, allowing the lemon flavors to really come to the fore. You could substitute with raw sugar or half and half with brown sugar, though your cake would have slightly more caramel flavor.
• Eggs: Room temperature eggs are essential to bind the ingredients which gives our cake that nice and light texture.
• Plain flour: The finer crumb in plain flour gives our cake it's light texture alongside the ground almonds. However, you can substitute in equal measure with self-raising flour and omit the baking powder, which is most commonly recommended for this recipe.
• Lemon: Verna lemons were most easy to source for this recipe, but honestly, any lemon you have on hand works. You will want the skin to be as blemish free as possible due to using the zest for the cake batter.
• Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil was used here as it has fruity notes that compliment the lemon flavors best.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Olive Oil Cake:

Greaseproof your cake tin and preheat your oven to 180C/350F.

Place the warmed honey in a bowl and add the olive oil and whisk until combined.

Add in the flour and fold through until the flour is combined, repeat with the remaining flour, until the mixture resembles uneven breadcrumbs. Set aside.

To make the olive oil cake, place the sugar and lemon zest into a bowl and rub together to coat the zest thoroughly with sugar and draw out the oils in the peel.

Add the eggs and beat until pale and fluffy and a ribbon has formed, approximately 3 minutes with a hand mixer.

Add in the lemon juice and beat for 1 minute, until well combined.

Place the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and stir until combined.

Add to the sugar and lemon mixture and beat on low until just combined.

In a slow and steady stream, pour in the olive oil until fully combined.

Pour the batter into your cake tin.

Top with the honey crumb mixture and press it down lightly to hold into the top of the cake.

Bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer comes out of the center of the cake clean and doesn’t feel oily when you rub the skewer between your fingers.

Remove and allow to cool.

Sprinkle confectioner’s or icing sugar over the top.

Slice and serve.

Equipment needed to make this

Greaseproof paper: Lining your tin will make getting the cake out a breeze!

Mixing bowl: A medium mixing bowl is needed for the cake batter.

Hand or stand mixer: This is best done with an electric beater to give your sponge the light airy texture. Both can be done by hand, but you will need some elbow grease to get the texture right.

Cake tin: A spring form tin that is 20 cm or 8 inches was used, however, a standard cake tin of similar size would also work well.

FAQ’s for the best Olive Oil Cake

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