Olive Oil Citrus Cake (Printable Version)

Moist, fragrant cake blending extra virgin olive oil with fresh orange and lemon zest for vibrant flavors.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour (approximately 8.8 oz)
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1 cup granulated sugar (7.75 oz)
06 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
08 - 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
09 - 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
11 - Zest of 1 orange
12 - Zest of 1 lemon
13 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ For Serving (optional)

14 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
15 - Whipped cream or Greek yogurt
16 - Additional citrus zest

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line base with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - Whisk sugar and eggs in a large bowl until pale and lightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
04 - Gradually whisk in olive oil until smooth and fully blended.
05 - Whisk in milk, orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until combined.
06 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using a spatula until just incorporated; avoid overmixing.
07 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly.
08 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and top is golden.
09 - Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Dust with powdered sugar and accompany with whipped cream or Greek yogurt; garnish with extra citrus zest if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's moist without being heavy, staying tender for days thanks to the olive oil keeping everything supple.
  • The citrus flavor is bright but never harsh, landing somewhere between a proper cake and something that tastes like breakfast in the best way.
  • You can throw it together on a weeknight and still have something that feels special enough for guests.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and adapts beautifully to dietary swaps without losing its charm.
02 -
  • Cold eggs and cold milk will cause the batter to seize and look curdled—bring them to room temperature or the crumb will suffer, and no amount of baking will fix that.
  • The zest matters more than you think; using a microplane and zesting directly over the bowl means you catch the oils that would otherwise end up on your cutting board.
  • Overmixing after adding the flour is the enemy—fold gently and stop when you can barely see flour streaks, even if it feels underdone; the spatula does the rest in the oven.
03 -
  • Use a microplane zester and zest your citrus directly into the bowl so you capture all the fragrant oils that would otherwise scatter across your cutting board.
  • Don't skip the room temperature step for eggs and milk—cold ingredients curdle the batter and ruin the crumb no matter how carefully you fold.

Go Back