A sunlit slice that tastes like a stroll through a coastal garden. This olive oil lemon cake is tender, fragrant, and full of bright citrus with a silky crumb that stays moist for days. People love it because it is simple yet elegant, perfect for everyday coffee or a special dinner. The olive oil brings a delicate fruitiness, the lemon keeps it lively, and the glaze adds a gentle sparkle. It is a pantry-friendly cake that feels like a small celebration with every bite. 🌿☕🍰
Yield 🥄
- Serves 8 to 10
- One 8 inch round or 9 by 5 inch loaf
Ingredients 🛒
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar (1 cup)
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- 180 ml extra virgin olive oil, mild and fruity (3/4 cup)
- 180 ml whole milk or plain yogurt, room temperature (3/4 cup)
- 30 ml fresh lemon juice (2 tbsp)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, optional
- 240 g all purpose flour (2 cups)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Glaze:
- 120 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
- 2 to 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp milk or water
- Pinch of salt
Optional garnish:
- Thin lemon slices, poppy seeds, fresh thyme, or a light drizzle of olive oil
Preparation 👩🍳
- Heat oven to 175 C. Grease and line a 20 cm round pan or a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with parchment.
- In a large bowl whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon zest for 1 to 2 minutes until pale and slightly thick.
- Slowly stream in olive oil while whisking until glossy. Whisk in milk or yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift into the wet ingredients. Fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour into the pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean and the top springs back.
- Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out to a rack.
- For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, milk or water, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable. Spoon over the warm or fully cooled cake. Let it set 15 minutes.
Tip: For extra lemon punch, brush the warm cake with 2 tbsp lemon juice mixed with 2 tbsp sugar until dissolved before glazing. 🍋
How to Serve Best 🍽️
- Serve at room temperature with a dollop of yogurt or whipped cream and a few macerated berries.
- Finish with a whisper of olive oil and a few flakes of sea salt for a bakery style shine.
- Pair with espresso, mint tea, or chilled limoncello for an elegant finale.
- Storage: Keeps moist for 3 days in an airtight container. Flavor deepens by day two. Freezes well for up to 2 months.
Variations 🌈
- Almond twist: Swap 60 g of flour for almond flour and add a few drops of almond extract.
- Herb kissed: Add 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary or thyme with the zest.
- Poppy seed: Fold in 1 tbsp poppy seeds for crunch and speckles.
Sunlit Origins: Lemon and Olive Oil Across the Mediterranean 🌿🍋
From Spain’s sun baked groves to Italy’s terraced coasts, olive oil and lemon have traveled together for centuries, shaping both daily meals and festive sweets. Olive oil has been a foundational fat in the Mediterranean since antiquity, prized not only for cooking but also for ritual and trade. Lemons arrived later, carried along trade routes from Asia and cultivated widely by the medieval period. In places like Sicily and the Amalfi Coast, citrus thrived in sheltered valleys and walled gardens, and cooks learned to use zest and juice to lift simple doughs with brightness.
Oil based cakes emerged naturally in regions where butter was scarce or saved for special occasions. During Lent and other fasting periods, bakers leaned on olive oil for tender crumbs and long keeping moisture. You can trace this approach in Iberian tortas de aceite, in Italian dolci all’olio from Liguria and Tuscany, and in homey pantries where a bottle of good oil was more common than a pat of butter. As chemical leaveners spread in the 19th and 20th centuries, these cakes became lighter and airier, yet they kept the soulful character of their rustic roots.
Today’s olive oil lemon cake nods to those traditions while fitting modern tastes. A mild extra virgin oil contributes a fruity aroma and a plush crumb, while zest and juice offer sunshine in every slice. It is a cake that feels both humble and refined, the kind of treat you can bake on a weekday afternoon and proudly place at the center of a celebratory table. In each bite you get the story of the Mediterranean itself, bright, generous, and beautifully simple.
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