Enjoy this citrus Olive Oil Cake recipe to serve up alongside a cup of tea. This moist and tender cake is a light dairy free coffee cake with a subtle hint of lemon zest and juice infused throughout to impress all lemon lovers.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and substitutions for the best Olive Oil Cake
- Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar gives our cake itโs 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. For the best flavor you'll want to use fresh lemon juice in this recipe. You could replace the lemon with orange zest and orange juice to make this an orange olive oil cake instead.
- 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:
Step 1: 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.
Step 2: Ribbon those eggs and sugar: Beat until well combined and they form a ribbon and add the zest and juice.
Step 4: Mix the dry ingredients: Combine the flour mixture in a separate bowl.
Step 5: Combine the dry and wet ingredients: Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a cake batter has formed.
Step 6: Drizzle in the olive oil: Add in the olive oil in installments while mixing until fully combined.
Step 7: Pour batter: Into the cake tin and smooth out the cake batter, topping with the honey crumb.
Step 8: Bake: We want this perfectly golden and a cake tester comes out clean.
Step 9: Cooling rack: Let the cake cool, top with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
Step 10: Enjoy: Slice, serve and dig in!
FAQโs for the best Olive Oil Cake
There are 2 steps to increase the flavor in your baked goods with lemon. Firstly, rubbing the finely chopped zest with the sugar helps draw out the oils from the lemon peel as well as infusing the flavor into the base of your cake. Secondly, you can increase the lemon flavor by simply adding the freshest juice you can into your cake. For a further step, you could prepare a lemon glaze by stirring 115 grams / 1 cup sifted confectionersโ sugar and 21 grams / 1 ยฝ tablespoons lemon juice in a small bowl and drizzle over the top of cake.
For the best results, it's recommended to use high-quality extra virgin olive oil in the Olive Oil Cake recipe. Its rich flavor and smooth texture will enhance the taste of the cake.
Olive Oil Cake pairs beautifully with a variety of toppings and accompaniments. Consider serving it with fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of honey, or a dollop of whipped cream. The versatility of this coffee cake allows for endless possibilities to suit your preferences.
Other cakes you'll love
Olive Oil Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Honey Crumb
- 30 grams / 1 ยฝ tablespoons honey warmed
- 56 grams / ยผ cup olive oil
- 160 grams / 1 cup plain flour
- ยฝ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
- 150 grams / ยพ cup superfine/caster sugar
- 12 grams / 2 tablespoons lemon zest finely chopped
- 110 grams / 2 large eggs room temperature
- 57 grams / ยพ cup fresh lemon juice (3 medium lemons)
- 240 grams / 1 ยฝ cups plain flour
- 48 grams / ยฝ cup almond flour
- 8 grams / 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 grams / ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- ยผ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
- 160 grams / ยพ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Greaseproof your cake tin and preheat your oven to 180C/350F.
Honey crumb
- 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.
Lemon 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 and no dry portions remain on the sides of bowl.
- In a slow and steady stream, pour in the olive oil until fully combined.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
- 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 doesnโt feel oily when you rub the skewer between your fingers.
- Remove and allow to cool.
- Sprinkle confectionerโs or icing sugar over the top.
- Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- 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.
- Type of olive to use here: Whilst you can use any olive oil, it is best to use extra virgin olive oil which has a more fruity fuller flavor that will enhance this cake.
- Increasing the lemon flavor in this cake: Firstly, rubbing the finely chopped zest with the sugar helps draw out the oils from the lemon peel as well as infusing the flavor into the base of your cake. Secondly, you can increase the lemon flavor by simply adding the freshest juice you can into your cake.
- 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.
Nutrition
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Made it and loved it?
If you have made this recipe, it would mean so much to leave a review below to help more people find this.
Sarah
Okay, so I was making a three course dinner for a friend that had to be completely dairy free and she actually told me a few weeks ago how much she misses coffee style cakes as they always include dairy. Needless to say, when I found this recipe it was quickly bookmarked and well, she has just left with the remaining half of the cake because her eyes literally lit up at the sight of this. Thank you so much for the clear instructions and the fact it didn't include any weird ingredients I didn't already have on hand. Will be making this again as I could have eaten it all myself haha
Sylvie Taylor
So glad to hear this was enjoyed by your friend Sarah and thanks for your review.
Rachel
This cake has been on heavy rotation thanks to the lemon flavor and that honey crumb. Love it!
Sylvie Taylor
Love to hear how much you enjoy this cake Rachel! Thanks so much
Everly
Have been trying to consume less dairy without substitutions and this cake surprised me with how incredible it tasted without being overwhelming in the olive oil flavor. Thanks,
Sylvie Taylor
So glad to hear you enjoyed this cake as much as we do!