• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
YouTube
TikTok

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

  • All Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Side Dishes
      • Soups
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches
      • Drinks/Cocktails
      • Sauces & Dressings
    • Method
      • Crockpot
      • Instant Pot
      • One Pot
      • Air Fryer
      • Casseroles
    • Season
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
      • Italian
      • Mexican
      • European
      • Indian
      • Romanian
      • Mediterranean
      • Middle Eastern
      • American
    • Ingredient
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Beef
      • Seafood
      • Lamb
      • Vegetarian
      • Pasta
      • Spices
    • Holiday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Thanksgiving
      • Game Day
      • Valentine's Day
      • St. Patrick's Day
      • Cinco de Mayo
      • Mother's Day
      • Memorial Day
      • Father's Day
      • 4th Of July
      • Labor Day
      • Halloween
    • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • Shop
  • About Jo
FREE recipe eBook!
Search...
All Recipes
Instant Pot
30 Minute
One Pot Meals
Soups
Dips & Dressings
Baking
Pasta
Sandwiches
Sides
Desserts Italian Cakes
4.7 from 40 votes

Olive Oil Cake

Jump to RecipePrintRate
By: Joanna Cismaru •11/28/21 12 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

pin for olive oil cake.

This lemon-scented Olive Oil Cake is perfectly crafted with some of the most basic ingredients! The olive oil adds a fruity flavor to the cake, while keeping it moist. Serve it with lots of berries or a dollop of cream, or sprinkled with a bit of powdered sugar. With just a few simple steps and a fairly quick prep time, this cake recipe will surely become one of your most cherished family favorites!

olive oil cake on a cake platter garnished with berries.
Table of Contents Open
  • Olive Oil Cake
  • Ingredient Notes
  • How to Make Olive Oil Cake
  • Frequently Asked Questions
    • What does the olive oil do in this cake?
    • Does the cake taste like olive oil or olives?
    • Expert Tips
  • Leftovers
  • More Delicious Recipes To Try
  • Olive Oil Cake
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Equipment
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

The Olive Oil cake is an easy cake with and accessible ingredient list that are pantry staples. The versatility of it is definitely another big win, since you can serve it with fresh berries, whipped cream or even ice cream.

Olive Oil Cake

  • Short Prep Time
  • Simple Pantry Staple Ingredients
  • Delicious Flavors

An easy and tasty dessert, the Olive Oil Cake is a soft and moist cake that will catch the eyes of everyone. It’s not overly sweet but extremely soft and moist. The ability to decorate it any way you’d like, makes it one very fancy cake to offer at the dinner table or even if you wish to spruce up your weekend BBQ’s.

Ingredient Notes

overhead shot of all the ingredients needed to make olive oil cake.
  • Flour – All purpose flour or even cake flour can be used for this cake. Cake flour has less gluten than all-purpose, resulting in a finer, lighter and softer cake.
  • Eggs – Room temperature, large eggs bind perfectly with the batter.
  • Milk – I’ve made this cake with regular milk and also with lactose free milk and both work.
  • Lemon – One large lemon is all you need to supply you with the zest and the juice required for the recipe. I wouldn’t skip the lemon because it will give the cake a burst of fresh lemon flavor.
  • Sugar – You’ll need granulated sugar. Keep in mind this is not an overly sweet cake.

How to Make Olive Oil Cake

detailed process shots showing how to make olive oil cake.
  1. Prepare the basics: Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line a 9-inch round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Dust the pan with flour lightly, shake out any excess. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
  2. Start mixing your ingredients: To the bowl of your mixer, beat the eggs together with the olive oil well to emulsify. Add the milk, lemon zest and lemon juice and continue mixing until well combined. Add the sugar and mix until well combined. Pour in half the flour mixture and mix until combined, then pour in the rest of the flour mixture and mix until the flour is well incorporated.
  3. Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan, place it on a baking sheet and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when the cake is done.
  4. Allow the cake to cool: Cool the cake in the springform pan for 1 hour before releasing it. Finish cooling the cake on a wire rack.
  5. To serve: Dust with icing sugar and top with berries and rosemary.
olive oil cake with a few slices cut out of it on a cake platter garnished with berries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the olive oil do in this cake?

The olive oil adds a fruity flavor to the cake, while keeping it moist and very tender. Olive oil is great in cakes, especially if using an extra virgin olive oil. It’s one of the healthiest oils and it remains very stable during baking.

Does the cake taste like olive oil or olives?

It does not taste like olive oil at all. This cake has a hint of lemon flavor and it’ll taste light, fruity and buttery.

olive oil cake on a cake platter garnished with berries.

Expert Tips

  1. You can make this cake just as easily in a Bundt pan if that’s what you have on hand or if you’d like a different shape.
  2. Be sure to use the milk and eggs at room temperature, this is the key to achieving a nice, velvety batter.
  3. Feel free to decorate this cake as you like, with berries or fruits of your choosing. You can even cut the cake in half and ice it with your favorite frosting.

Leftovers

This cake can be stored in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. Or it can actually freeze quite well, wrapped tightly in a plastic wrap, it lasts beautifully for about 3-4 months in your freezer.

More Delicious Recipes To Try

  • Chocolate Bundt Cake
  • Mango Lemonade
  • Chocolate Cake with Mixed Berry and Cream Cheese Filling
  • Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake
  • Blueberry Coffee Cake
  • Tomato Soup Cake

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

olive oil cake on a cake platter garnished with berries.
4.73 from 40 votes

Olive Oil Cake

Prep 20 minutes minutes
Resting Time 1 hour hour
Cook 1 hour hour
Total 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
10
Rate Recipe Print Recipe
This lemon-scented Olive Oil Cake is perfectly crafted with some of the most basic ingredients! The olive oil adds a fruity flavor to the cake, while keeping it moist. Serve it with lots of berries or a dollop of cream, or sprinkled with a bit of powdered sugar. With just a few simple steps and a fairly quick prep time, this cake recipe will surely become one of your most cherished family favorites!
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 1⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1¼ cup milk (at room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup sugar (granulated)

Toppings

  • icing sugar
  • assorted berries
  • rosemary

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Prep oven and pan: Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line a 9-inch round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Dust the pan with flour lightly, shake out any excess. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  • Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
  • Combine the wet ingredients: To the bowl of your mixer, beat the eggs together with the olive oil well to emulsify. Add the milk, lemon zest and lemon juice and continue mixing until well combined. Add the sugar and mix until well combined.
  • Combine wet and dry: Pour in half the flour mixture and mix until combined, then pour in the rest of the flour mixture and mix until the flour is well incorporated.
  • Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan, place it on a baking sheet and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when the cake is done.
  • Cool the cake: Allow the cake to cool in the springform pan for 1 hour before releasing it. Finish cooling the cake on a wire rack.
  • Decorate and serve: To serve, dust with icing sugar and top with berries and rosemary.

Equipment

  • 9-inch Springform Pan
  • Parchment Paper

Notes

  1. You can make this cake just as easily in a Bundt pan if that’s what you have on hand or if you’d like a different shape.
  2. Be sure to use the milk and eggs at room temperature, this is the key to achieving a nice, velvety batter.
  3. Feel free to decorate this cake as you like, with berries or fruits of your choosing. You can even cut the cake in half and ice it with your favorite frosting.
  4. This cake can be stored in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. Or it can actually freeze quite well, wrapped tightly in a plastic wrap, it lasts beautifully for about 3-4 months in your freezer.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 464kcal (23%)Carbohydrates: 41g (14%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 31g (48%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Trans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 59mg (20%)Sodium: 180mg (8%)Potassium: 172mg (5%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 22g (24%)Vitamin A: 131IU (3%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 83mg (8%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

olive oil cake on a cake platter garnished with berries.

Did You Make This?

We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @jocooks or hashtag #jocooks so we can see your creations!

Rate Recipe
Add Your Photo!
  • 248
Home Recipes
Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Through Jo Cooks, I invite you to join me in my kitchen as we explore delicious recipes from around the globe, celebrate the joy of cooking, and make every meal a memorable one. Happy cooking!

Read More
iPad showing title of ebook 30 recipes from around the world
Subscribe

Get our FREE recipe eBook + weekly newsletter!

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.

guest
Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

12 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Lynn
Lynn
Posted: 7 months ago

This looks delish, it I only have lemon from a bottle, would that be alright to use? I’m currently baking your Chocolate Bundt Cake and it’s looking fabulous…..Thank you for all those delicious recipes!

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Lynn
Posted: 7 months ago

I mean I always say fresh is best, but if that’s all you have then by all means use it. Enjoy the cakes!

0
Reply
Mitch
Mitch
Posted: 1 year ago

5 stars
Im definitely trying this recipe. I have tried your Zebra cake recipe and it’s a sure win!

0
Reply
Dave Lewis
Dave Lewis
Posted: 1 year ago

Wow! This recipe is perfect and we’ll definitely try this one. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

0
Reply
jake
jake
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
Olive oil is great for cakes and desserts! Especially the extra virgin one. It has a wonderful taste and won’t make your dessert smell like olives, in case you wonder. I use it in majority of my desserts because it is also healthy: in fact one of the healthiest oils in the world.

Tree Services Littleton

0
Reply
mark bill
mark bill
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
This recipe was amazing!! I made it and my mother and I loved it because it reminded us of a cake my Nonna used to make a lot. Thanks for this it was delicious.
Roofing Contractors Boulder

0
Reply
Patricia B
Patricia B
Posted: 2 years ago

I tried a few and this was the best !

0
Reply
jordan
jordan
Posted: 2 years ago

I agree! But part of the appeal of olive oil cakes is that they’re more moist relative to cakes made with something like butter, since olive oil is liquid at room temp while butter isn’t. Ilove your cooking!
Stamped Concrete Greeley

0
Reply
Olivia Morrow
Olivia Morrow
Posted: 2 years ago

I had to put the cake in for 20 minutes extra and the middle was taking a long time to set I don’t know if I did anything wrong the only thing I did differently is use skim milk instead of whole milk. Roofing Lakewood Co

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Olivia Morrow
Posted: 2 years ago

No, you didn’t, each oven is different, so bake it as long as you need.

0
Reply
Lorrie Fennell
Lorrie Fennell
Posted: 2 years ago

I am drooling over receipe…can I use almond flour, monk sugar and almond milk as substitute.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Lorrie Fennell
Posted: 2 years ago

We haven’t tried in that combination so I couldn’t advise either way. Let us know how it works out if you try it.

0
Reply

sidebar

Headshot of Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is the place where I share my passion for easy and delicious recipes. From comforting classics to global flavors, I believe that cooking should be fun, approachable, and most importantly, rewarding. Join me on this culinary journey and let’s get cooking!

Read More
Collage of recipe ebooks
Subscribe

Get our FREE recipe eBook + weekly newsletter!

Pasta Favorites

baked mac and cheese in a black cast iron skillet.
45 minutes mins

Baked Mac And Cheese

freshly made crack chicken penne with a wooden spoon in a skillet.
40 minutes mins

Crack Chicken Penne

chicken pot pie pasta in a white serving bowl with a wooden serving spoon.
50 minutes mins

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

freshly made one pot pasta in a dutch oven.
20 minutes mins

One Pot Pasta

tomato spinach chicken pasta in a white bowl.
30 minutes mins

Tomato Spinach Chicken Pasta

homemade hamburger helper lasagna from scratch in a skillet.
30 minutes mins

One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna

baked feta pasta in a white bowl garnished with fresh basil.
50 minutes mins

Baked Feta Pasta (Tik Tok Pasta)

sideview shot of chicken fajita pasta in a white bowl with a fork inside
45 minutes mins

Chicken Fajita Pasta

side close up shot of swedish meatball pasta in a beige braised garnished with parsley
30 minutes mins

Swedish Meatball Pasta

overhead shot of a bowl of haluski
40 minutes mins

Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles)

A stack of cookbooks
Grab a copy!

My Cookbooks

Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Dinner Favorites

smothered pork chops in a skillet garnished with parsley.
1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Smothered Pork Chops

a wooden spoon lifting a salisbury steak out of the skillet
30 minutes mins

Salisbury Steak

beef lo mein in a black wok.
30 minutes mins

Beef Lo Mein

side shot of beef and broccoli in a skillet
15 minutes mins

Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

skillet shepherd's pie in a cast iron skillet with a portion taken out.
1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Skillet Shepherd’s Pie

a serving spoon inside a skillet with chicken broccoli rice casserole.
30 minutes mins

One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

side view shot of two italian stuffed peppers in a bowl
2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Italian Stuffed Peppers

a serving of spaghetti bolognese in a white bowl garnished with parsley.
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Spaghetti Bolognese

Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
YouTube
TikTok
Visit our Other Site: Craving Home Cooked

Explore

Recipes
Cookbooks
About Jo
Contact

Legal

Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Disclaimers
© 2023 Jo Cooks
Site Credits
Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
wpDiscuz