This Lemon Olive Oil Cake is a moist, delicious lemon-flavored cake made with olive oil. This Italian cake is lightly crusted, and the inside is tender, moist and bursting with zesty, bright lemon flavors.
Lemon Olive Oil Cake is simple and straight-forward cake to make, perfect for beginner bakers! It is also incredibly delicious, addictive and it’s hard to stop at just one slice.
Don’t forget to also check out other reader favorite cakes including Italian Ricotta Cheesecake, Molten Chocolate Lava Cake and Strawberry Shortcake with Angel Food Cake!
Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake
The lemon olive oil cake is unique because olive oil is used to cake this cake instead of butter or vegetable oil, which most American cakes are made of.
If you are wondering…why use olive oil in cake? It’s because olive oil gives this cake a soft, light and fluffy texture that will just melt in your mouth. Trust me when I say this citrus olive oil cake tastes as light as a feather!
This is a simple, one-layer cake. You’ll want to use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the cake batter to give it that light and fluffy texture, and then when it is done we top the cake off by dusting it with powdered sugar.
Lemon olive oil cake is one of those not-overly heavy, not crazy sweet, but an elegant, light cake that is infused with bright and big lemon flavors in every bite. It won’t weight you down and make you feel like you overdosed on dessert.
Another awesome thing about using olive oil in cakes is that it’s actually healthier than a lot of cakes…or as healthy as cake gets! Olive oil contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, which is much better for you compared to butter.
If you like this Olive Oil Cake from Italy, don’t forget to also check out Italian Ricotta Cheesecake, one of my favorite cheesecakes ever!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this citrus olive oil cake:
- Olive oil: I recommend using high quality extra virgin olive oil for this cake. However, if you don’t want any hint of olive oil flavor in the cake at all, opt for light olive oil instead.
- Limoncello: an Italian lemon liquor that adds a lovely punch of lemon flavor to the cake. It truly transforms the lemon olive oil cake, so do not skip this! If you can’t find Limoncello, you can use Grand Marnier which is a French orange-flavored liquor.
- Lemon: you will need both the zest, which is the outermost layer of the lemon, and lemon juice. Lemon zest is full of flavor, brings a lot of lemon flavors and must not be missed!
- Milk: I used whole milk for this recipe.
- Flour: all-purpose flour works perfectly well for this recipe.
- Baking powder & baking soda: both are needed to achieve the best texture and leavening in your finished cake.
- Granulated sugar: feel free to adjust amount according to sweetness preference.
- Salt: salt enhances flavor, even in a sweet dessert! No one wants a bland lemon cake.
- Eggs: let your eggs reach room temperature before using them. This helps them to whip to a fuller consistency and hold its shape for a longer amount of time.
- Powdered sugar: used to dust the tops of the lemon olive oil cake when it is baked and cool completely.
How to make it
Here are the step-by-step instructions to make an Italian lemon olive oil cake:
Step 1: Grease pan
First, generously (and I mean really generously!) grease the bottom and sides of your 9-inch round cake pan with olive oil (you can also use nonstick cooking spray for convenience).
You can also use a springform pan or a bundt pan if that’s what you have at hand.
This is highly important so that your lemon olive oil cake doesn’t stick to the pan after baking. Olive oil cakes do stick to pan easily, so if you want to be super cautious, you can line the bottom with parchment paperand then grease it.
Step 2: Separately bring together Dry ingredients and wet ingredients
In a large bowl, bring together dry ingredients by adding flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (you can also use a hand mixer), combine wet ingredients – granulated sugar, eggs, and lemon zest.
Mix on high for 5 minutes – this is an important step so that our cake batter is light and fluffy.
Slowly add olive oil into the batter, then mix for another 2 minutes. Yes! We are getting this batter super airy and fluffy!
Reduce mixer to low speed, then add milk, lemon juice, and Limoncello (or Grand Marnier). Mix until everything is combine, and avoid overmixing.
Step 4: Bring together wet and dry mixture
Add flour mixture (dry ingredients) from Step 2 to wet mixture. Fold to combine – also do not overmix.
Bring lemon olive oil cake batter into the greased 9″ round cake pan.
Step 5: Bake
Send lemon olive oil cake into the oven and bake at 375℉ for 45-48 minutes. Check at the 45 minute mark by removing the cake from the oven and inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake.
If toothpick comes out clean, cake is done. If not, bake for a few more minutes and retest doneness.
Step 6: Cool and serve
After removing cake from the oven, leave cake in the round cake pan and place the cake pan on a cooling rack. Let it cool for 20 minutes.
It is important to properly cool this lemon olive oil cake so that the cake sets properly. Sufficient cooling also it helps with easy removal of the cake from the cake pan.
Once cake is cooled, run a knife along the outer edge of the cake to help release the cake from the pan. Then gently invert lemon olive oil cake onto a cake stand or plate to remove the pan.
The tops of the cake will now be at the bottom. Let it stand and cool for a few more minutes until the tops of the cake are no longer warm to the touch.
Sprinkle the tops of your lemon olive oil cake with powdered sugar to serve – for loveliness sake and for that extra touch of sweetness! 💛
Variations
I love this Italian Lemon Cake because it’s so delicious eaten on its own AND it makes a great base for culinary creativity! You can try:
- Including flavor extracts: add a splash of vanilla, almond, or other extract in the batter if you want an extra hint of flavor. Can’t get enough of that lemony flavor? Add some lemon extract too!
- Adding frosting: let the cake cool, and then frost with some lemon curd frosting, cream cheese frosting, whipped cream, or whatever your heart desires! Use a thin butter knife to spread for best results.
- Adding toppings: the top of the cake is a blank canvas! Try sprinkling some nuts like almonds or pistachios, and/or fruit like raspberries or blueberries.
Storage
Best way to store: Store lemon olive oil cake covered or in an airtight container at room temperature and it should stay fresh for up to 5 days. Refrigeration is not necessary. Putting it in the fridge will cause the cake to quickly lose moisture.
Freezing Instruction: this cake freezes well. Carefully wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil before freezing. It can last in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Tips and Tricks
- Different olive oils: Different types of olive oil will bring different tastes to the cake. I do recommend a high quality extra-virgin olive oil for best taste and texture. However, extra virgin olive oil does have a stronger olive oil scent. Most of it will be dissolved after baking, but there might be still a lingering smell. I personally do not mind, but if you do, you may want to try using light olive oil.
- Prevent sticking: To prevent sticking, you will want to generously grease the pan. You can also add a parchment paper to the bottom of the pan and then grease it before adding cake mixture.
- Use fresh lemons: For the best lemon flavor, use fresh lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. Pre-packaged citrus juice and pre-grated citrus zest are often less flavorful. You can’t beat real, fresh fruit.
- Don’t skip the Limoncello: I’ve made the recipe without limoncello and the flavor just isn’t as bold and flavorful. It truly takes the lemon olive oil cake to the next level! If you cannot find Limoncello, use Grand Manier.
- Proper mixing is crucial: Beat the sugar and eggs until they turn into a pale yellow. This beating process traps air which helps the cake get a light structure. Be sure not to overmix after adding the flour.
- Test for doneness: Every oven is slightly different, and oven temperatures can vary. Start testing your cake for doneness using a toothpick at the 45-minute mark.
- Removing cake from pan: Use a knife to run along the sides of the cake before releasing cake from baking pan.
- Cooling is key: Ensure your cake is completely cooled before adding powdered sugar, otherwise powdered sugar will melt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grand Manier, an orange flavored liqueur, is a great substitute.
In that case, omit the Limoncello and instead add an extra splash of vanilla or lemon extract, or lemon curd. The flavor will be slightly different, but it will work nonetheless.
While you can substitute olive oil with canola or vegetable oil, it’s not recommended for this recipe. The olive oil adds a distinctive rich flavor and bring about a soft and tender texture that other oils can’t replicate.
You really want to be very generous with olive oil when greasing the pan. Using a good quality cake pan does make a different too – this is my favorite and enable for easy removal (you still have to grease your pan generously!). To play it safe, I sometimes also line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and then grease it.
Before slicing the cake or sprinkle it with powdered sugar, it’s important to let it cool completely. Powdered sugar will melt if the cake is hot, and cutting a hot cake can cause it to fall apart or crumble.
Different sized pans will work! You can also use other sizes of cake pans like 8-inch pans, or rectangular ones like a loaf pan. Use a springform pan or bundt pan (then it’ll be an olive oil bundt cake!), those will be great as well. Just be sure to oil generously before you place batter into the pan.
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
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Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for the pan
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp Limoncello or Grand Marnier
- 1¼ cups whole milk
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Generously grease a 9-inch round cake pan using olive oil.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (can also use a hand mixer), combine sugar, eggs, and lemon zest. Mix on high for about 5 minutes until mixture turns pale yellow.
- Slowly add olive oil. Mix for another 2 minutes.
- Reduce mixer to low speed. Add milk, lemon juice, and Limoncello (or Grand Marnier). Mix until everything is combined. Do not overmix.
- Gradually add the flour mixture. Fold to combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45-48 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Leave cake in the cake pan and place cake pan on a cooling rack. Let it cool for 20 minutes. Run a knife along the outer edge of the cake to help release the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate or cake stand and gently lift and remove the pan. Let cake rest and cool completely.
- Sprinkle the tops of the cake with powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy!
This cake makes me FEEL good. It’s delicious, hits the spot, yet light and lemony and not too sweet. Easy to make too! Thank you!!
Glad to hear that you enjoyed it, Katie!
We love the soft and light texture of the cake. Thank you.
Yes! One of the many reasons why I love it too! Thanks for sharing!