This vegan olive oil cake is filled with lemon zest and topped with powdered sugar and fresh berries for deliciously subtle flavors and an ultra moist delicate crumb. It’s a decadent and beautiful dessert perfect for any occasion.
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We’ve made it to February. Just a month and a half of winter left!
This winter has been mild in Oregon but regardless, it’s been rough on me. The short days and cold airs have taken a toll. I’m ready for the clouds to part and give way to some much-needed sun. But with 6 weeks of winter left, there’s not much to do but accept this season for what it is. And so, I’m going to celebrate these winter days the best way I know how – with cake!
This Lemon Olive Oil Cake is perfect. It pulls in the citrusy flavors of winter with the freshness of spring for a transitional dessert between seasons that I know you’re going to love.
Let’s take a closer look, shall we?
How to Make Vegan Olive Oil Cake {Video}
What is an Olive Oil Cake
Olive oil cake is a rich, moist cake that uses – you guessed it – olive oil rather than butter as the fat. Because olive oil provides a subtle savoriness, this cake tends to be less sweet than most cakes. It’s one that can be served with fruit for dessert or alongside morning coffee as a breakfast cake.
While some other cakes and quick bread use oil rather than butter, olive oil provides the savory flavors of pepper and herbs. These subtle flavors pair deliciously with citrus and sugar for a simple cake this is wildly complex in flavor.
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
Olive oil cake is incredible. It is made with one of the most digestible fats available while providing a deliciously complex flavor that pairs perfectly with the citrus and fruity flavors. They are far moister than butter cakes meaning they last longer and store better.
Here is everything you need.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – For this recipe you need a high quality olive oil. I recommend Bari’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Unsweetened Applesauce – The applesauce acts as the binder for these cookies. You can’t taste the applesauce but if you would prefer a different kind of egg replacer, check out my complete guide on replacing eggs to get a few more ideas.
- Non-Dairy Milk – I recommend a neutral-flavored milk such as soy or cashew milk but any non-dairy milk will do.
- Lemon – Fresh lemon is best. You will need both the juice and zest.
- Granulated Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements. For a healthier sugar alternative, I recommend coconut sugar.
- All-Purpose Flour – For a gluten-free option, you can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Baking Powder and Soda
- Salt
- Toppings (optional) – I like to top my cake with powdered sugar, lemon, blackberries, and fresh mint. However, you can use any combination of fresh fruit or omit the fruit altogether.
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe, you’ll need basic kitchen equipment such as a mixing bowl, utensils, a wire cooling rack, and one 9″ cake pans. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
My Go-To Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Because the flavor is so pronounced, you have to choose the best quality olive oil for this cake. For that reason, when choosing an olive oil to provide the foundation of this dish, I turn to Bari Olive Oil Co.
Bari Olive Oil Co. is a California-based company that has been making high-quality olive oil for over 80 years. They are a family run company that is dedicated to producing the highest-quality products available. All their olives are grown in California, supporting local growers and organic small-batch processing, ensuring that their promise of high-quality is never compromised. And it shows!
Bari’s products are found throughout stores in California. But, fear not all you non-California dwelling readers. You can find all their incredible products online, too. So, go ahead and do a little shopping – perhaps some last-minute gifts for this Valentine’s Day – and fill your cupboards with these beautiful, high-quality oils and vinegar.
How to Make Vegan Olive Oil Cake
Step One – Make the Batter
Whisk together olive oil, apple sauce, non-dairy milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar until the mixture is thick and consistent. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring until the dry ingredients are evenly hydrated and the batter is thick and smooth.
Pro Tip: Be careful not to overmix. Overmixing allows the gluten to develop and too much gluten will give you gummy and dense cake.
Step Two – Bake Cake
Pour the batter into an 8″ or 9″ cake pan and bake between 45 and 60 minutes. When the cake is done, you’ll notice that it has begun to pull away from the edges slightly. At that point, you can insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, then it’s all ready to go!
Note: an 8″ cake will be thicker and therefore take a little longer in the oven.
Once the cake is ready, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool at least 30 minutes in the cake pan before flipping it out onto a wire cooling rack. This is very important as the structure of the cake is still firming up. If you flip it over too early, it may fall apart or stick to the pan.
Let the cake continue cooling on a wire cooling rack until it is completely cool. To speed this up, you can place the cake in the refrigerator at this point. It’s important that the cake is completely cool before powdering it with sugar to prevent the sugar from melting.
Serving and Storing
Serving – Once your cake is cool, dust a layer of powdered sugar over the top and decorate it with lemon, berries, and fresh mint.
Storing – Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this cake for up to 2 months. To thaw, pull the cake from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for several hours.
Tips and Tricks
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- When making any kind of cake or quick bread, take care not to overmix. Overmixing allows the gluten strands to develop making the cake gummy. Mix until just combined to ensure a light, delicate crumb.
- Do not open the oven door while the cake is baking. This causes the structure to fall leaving you with a dent in the middle of your cake. You can check for doneness after 45 minutes.
- To prevent the cake from sticking, put a parchment paper at the bottom of the cake pan. You can do this by placing the cake pan on top of a piece of parchment paper and tracing the outside. Cut it to fit exactly and place it snuggly on the bottom. After your parchment paper is in place, generously spray the pan with cooking oil.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Triple Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake
- Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Lava Cake
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
Olive Oil Cake
- 3/4 cup Bari’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 cup non-dairy milk, I use soy
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
Toppings
- 2 tbsp. powdered sugar
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1/4 cup fresh blackberries
- a few sprigs of fresh mint
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of an 8″ or 9″ cake pan with a piece of parchment paper. Generously spray the pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, apple sauce, non-dairy milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar until the mixture is thick and consistent. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring until the dry ingredients are evenly hydrated and the batter is thick and smooth.
- Pour cake into the prepared cake pan and bake for 45-60 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool 30 minutes before flipping onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, dust with powdered sugar. Top with blackberries, lemon, and fresh mint. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- When making any kind of cake or quick bread, take care not to overmix. Overmixing allows the gluten strands to develop making the cake gummy. Mix until just combined to ensure a light, delicate crumb.
- Do not open the oven door while the cake is baking. This causes the structure to fall leaving you with a dent in the middle of your cake. You can check for doneness after 45 minutes.
- To prevent the cake from sticking, put a parchment paper at the bottom of the cake pan. You can do this by placing the cake pan on top of a piece of parchment paper and tracing the outside. Cut it to fit exactly and place it snuggly on the bottom. After your parchment paper is in place, generously spray the pan with cooking oil.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Hannah says
I made this and holy moly, it was delicious. Maybe one of the best tasting cakes I’ve ever made. I used an 8 inch pan with 2 inch sides. I scooped a few tablespoons of batter out of the pan right before I put it in the oven and I’m glad I did. It did rise higher than the pan, but didn’t overflow on to the sides because I used cake strips so it baked nice and evenly and just straight upwards. Highly recommend using cake strips when baking this.
Carey says
Thank you for this great recipe! What’s your suggestion for substituting the sugar? I’m hoping to bake this as a smash cake for my son’s birthday. Also, is the cake dense or pretty fluffy (i.e. smashable)? Thanks.
Christine C says
Hi Sarah – what an outstanding recipe – thank you so much. I am not much of a cake/sweet eater but I saw this and decided to give it a go with the lemon and olive oil appealing to me. I used a 9″ pan and it rose beautifully. The taste is sensational – perfect balance of lemon and not too sweet and cloying with an excellent crumb. I decided to plate the slices (dessert for a dinner party) with a big dollop of plain coconut yoghurt (Nakula – I live in Australia) and I made a limoncello syrup to drizzle over the plated portions. 10 out 10 for this delicious dessert and I have just had a piece with my mid morning coffee. This is now on a very small select list of desserts / cakes that I make again and again.
Britt says
I believe the overflowing issue is because of pan size. I have 9×1.5 pans and when I poured the batter in it was almost to the top so I took some and put it in a mini loaf pan. Now I get two cakes. You probably need a 9×2.75 round
Paige Pacheco says
My daughter is named Camila after my father, who is from Lebanon, and Rose, because she is so much like a flower, coming out in May with all of the other buds.
To commemorate her first birthday I thought to make her an olive oil cake to tie in our Lebanese dissent.
I had to sub out the lemon for orange, which at first I was disappointed about but shortly after I realized that by doing this I was able to add orange blossom water to the mix, making it even more Middle Eastern and floral I inspired. I just popped the cake into the oven, but just by tasting the batter I can tell that this cake is going to be absolutely divine. I have never tasted a cake batter that was so delicious before in my entire life. Thank you so much for giving us such a great recipe that will mean so much for years to come! I’m hell bent on finding a way to make this cake at least once a year. It’s incredible!
Alison says
I was looking for a vegan olive oil cake for my boyfriend’s birthday and came across this one. The pictures looked beautiful and the recipe seemed so straightforward but I was hesitant to try it because of the 50/50 reviews. Well I can happily say this recipe was FANTASTIC. I have never written a review for a recipe but I felt so inclined to reassure everyone that this recipe is easy and delicious. It also produces a beautiful looking cake as is so there is no fuss over icing it. Thank you so much, Sarah!
Jenny Ramsay says
Mine was perfect and delicious. Far more yum than imagined. No overflowing, no burning. Yum yum yum!
James says
I think this a beautiful base cake for lots of creations! I halved the amount of sugar and added some spices. I also topped it with a blackberry balsamic reduction. Thank you for the recipe.
Brooke says
I don’t have lemon ☹️ Would grapefruit zest and juice be good you think?!
Sarah McMinn says
Sure. I would also suggest orange as a good substitution.
Donna says
I have a quick question! Is it possible to convert these to muffin tins? If so, what would the baking time be? Thank you! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Sarah McMinn says
I would imagine so. I would try baking them for about 22 minutes before checking on them.
Paula Robinson says
I followed the recipe and unfortunately the cake overflowed!
Angie says
I followed the recipe exactly using 1 9″ cake pan. It is overflowing and burning onto the oven floor.
Sarah McMinn says
That should happen. Did you use metric, by chance? I’m wondering if something might be off with the calculations there.
Jaime says
I just made this cake EXACTLY to the recipe and baked it in a 9×1.5” round cake pan and it overflowed as well. Horrible mess in the oven:( I will make this again but will try it in (2)8” cake pans next time.
LE says
I have made this vegan lemon olive oil cake several times and always receive many compliments and requests for the recipe, from both vegan and non-vegan family and friends. It is easy to prepare and always comes out perfect: very moist and well balanced flavor. My 8 year old son, who is not vegan, says this is his favorite dessert and requested it for his birthday cake. I use unsweetened cashew milk for the non-dairy milk. Thank you for this great recipe!
Y S says
I am positive I followed the recipe instructions to a T. And yet, my cake came out very dense. And although I could taste the lemon, I could taste the oil even more – it was like eating solidified EVOO. I do plan on trying this again with 1/4 the oil.
Matthew Okonsky says
Is the salt used here kosher salt or table salt?
Sarah says
I use table salt
Sarah says
This recipe looks delicious and I absolutely love how you decorated with the fruit on top! So beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing!!!