This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
If you love the taste of olive oil, you’re in for a treat with this simple, moist, and wonderfully light olive oil cake. It’s made with extra virgin olive oil for that not only gives it moisture but also a subtle pleasant flavor. This is the perfect dessert with an afternoon cup of coffee or for any occasion.
The beauty of an olive oil cake that uses no butter is you don’t have to wait for the butter to come to room temperature before beating it with the eggs. It all folds together quickly and effortlessly.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Olive oil: Olive oil adds an amazing fruity flavor to this cake. It keeps the cake wonderfully moist and eliminates the need for butter. It’s the key ingredient in the recipe.
- Yogurt: Greek yogurt is best here to give it moisture and fat, but you can use plain as well.
- Eggs: To bind the ingredients together. You can also swap it for flax egg.
- Lemon: Use both the zest and juice in this recipe for a nice fresh and zingy flavor. You can also use orange juice and zest.
- Flour: All-purpose flour or cake flour is best for making the olive oil cake.
- Sugar: Any type of granulated sugar.
- Baking powder and soda: So that your cake rises when it is baked so that it’s light and fluffy in texture.
- Salt: A little salt really helps to bring out the sweetness in this cake.
How to make olive oil cake
- Mix the dry ingredients together.
- Add the yogurt, oil and room temperature eggs.
- Whisk together until a smooth batter forms.
- Add lemon zest and juice and mix.
- Pour into a pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake until golden brown.
You can enjoy the cake as is without any topping and without it being too sweet if you’re looking for something simple – the perfect coffee cake! It’s light, buttery (with no butter) and just all around so pleasant!
Tips for making the cake
- Use room temperature eggs. Because the yolks are softer at room temperature, they break much more easily and incorporate well into the other ingredients in the bowl.
- Opt for cake flour if possible. While all purpose flour is used here for ease and convenience, using cake flour will make the texture of the olive oil cake a lot more light and airy.
- Use oil rather than butter to grease your baking pan. Butter can actually cause the cake to stick to the pan. Or you can also line it with parchment for easy removal.
- Mix your cake batter well. It should be smooth with no lumps for an even texture.
Frequently asked questions
While you can substitute other types of oil, the essence of the recipe is in the pleasant aroma and subtle flavor of olive oil. It’s best to not substitute in this case.
Your olive oil cake will keep well for 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. If frosted, it needs to be kept refrigerated. Let the cake cool fully before storing.
Yes, this cake freezes really well and will keep for up to 3 months. Once cooled, wrap in foil and place in a freezer bag or safe container. Defrost it in the fridge overnight before serving.
This olive oil cake is a light, fresh and beautifully moist cake that is so easy to whip up. The olive oil taste is very subtle and is complemented well by the lemon zest in the recipe. Best part is that it seems like a fancy cake, but it is not only effortless, but also quite affordable.
More cake recipes:
- Baked Oats Breakfast Cake
- Turmeric Cake
- Cranberry Lemon Cake
- Crumbly Nutella Mugcake
- Cream Cheese Vanilla Cupcakes
- Cinnamon Coffee Crumb Cake
- Birthday Mug Cake
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Olive Oil Cake recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Olive Oil Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 lemon zested
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and oil a 9” round pan.
- Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt) together in a large bowl.
- Create a well in the flour mix and add olive oil, Greek yogurt and eggs. Whisk into the flour mixture.
- Add lemon juice and zest and stir until completely combined and there are no lumps.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and raspberries, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Easy recipe to follow and absolutely delicious!! I wasn’t familiar with my daughter’s oven so I baked it for 20 minutes to give me some wiggle room; another 12 minutes was perfect! I’ll be making it again for Easter with one more tablespoon of lemon juice-my family loves lemon flavored treats!
Yay, so happy you love the recipe!! Thanks, Tricia. I hope your family enjoys the cake on Easter!
My cake turned out stodgy and dense. I’m going to try baking it longer next time, as I think it was also underbaked, but do you have any solutions to making it lighter and not so dense? Thank you!
Bummer! So sorry your cake turned out dense, Carita. Using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour can give a lighter, more airy texture. I recommend trying that next time. Hope that helps!
I would like to make this for my granddaughter’s birthday, but I’m not sure how high this cake will be. Could I make 2 cakes and cut each in half to accommodate the filling or should I make 3 separate cakes? I am planning on putting a cream and mascarpone filling between the layers and decorating the outside with buttercream. Thank you.
Hi! That’s so fun! The cake is made in a 9-inch round pan and is about 2 inches tall. You could get it to be taller by using an 8-inch pan. Depending on how tall you want to make the cake, you can make 2 or 3 separate cakes. I hope that helps!
Hello, you mentioned in the intro you can use flax egg. I clicked on the recipe provided to make the flax egg; would you use the amount in that recipe to equal 2 eggs? If not can you provide the exact measurement please. I have brown ground flaxmeal to use. Thank you.
That’s right, you would double the flax egg recipe to replace the 2 eggs in this olive oil cake recipe. Enjoy!!
This cake is PERFECTION! Tastes like something from a cafe in Italy!!🇮🇹 Sprinkled with confectioners sugar, served it with a dollop of fresh whipped cream that had a touch of vanilla, then topped with fresh raspberries and a lemon slice. Simply delicious!
Wow, love your toppings and presentation!! That sounds amazing! Thank you so much, Christin. So happy you loved the cake!!
Instead of lemon I use ground pistachios and dash of rose and orange blossom water and then I do an icing with that too and my oh my delicious! Arab style 🙂
Yum, that sounds amazing!! Thanks for sharing, Sondoss!
This cake was classic and delicious. My husband and I loved it! I added almond extract to mine.
Yum, love the addition of almond extract! That sounds so good. Glad you and your husband both loved it!! Thanks, Kate!
Can I make two cakes and stack them with a layer of whipped cream between? Hoping to serve a bigger crowd for a birthday party.
Yes, I think that would work!! Hope you and your party guests enjoy! Please let me know how it turns out.
Will nonfat Greek yogurt be okay?
Yes, nonfat will work! I prefer full-fat Greek yogurt to make it extra moist though.
Thank you! This cake was excellent and it was very easy. I used nonfat Greek yogurt. Will definitely share with my friends and make again 😉
Yay!! So happy you loved how it turned out, Luci. Thank you for sharing with your friends!!
What kind of Greek yogurt? Will nonfat work?
Nonfat will work! I just prefer full-fat Greek yogurt because it makes the cake extra rich and moist.