Olive Oil Cake

Our olive oil cake is fragrant, delicious, and bright yellow, like the Greek sun. With lemon juice and zest, delicate extra virgin olive oil, and a hint of vanilla, it is dense and very moist and will remind you of a cheesecake.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Servings

Calories 361kcal

Author by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves

Equipment

11" diameter springform pan
Citrus Juicer
Microplane Grater
Parchment paper
Rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients

1 cup extra virgin olive oil look for premium extra virgin olive oil, best used raw for salads etc
3 large eggs room temperature
1¼ cups whole milk
4 lemons medium size
1 vanilla bean pod
1¼ cups granulated sugar and a little extra
2 cups organic all-purpose flour 250 gr
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Zest and juice four medium lemons.
Brush a little olive oil all over the pan. Next, line the bottom with a round parchment paper and brush the parchment with oil.
Whisk eggs, 1 cup of oil, and 1¼ cups sugar in a medium bowl until smooth.
Add the milk, vanilla bean pod seeds, and the lemon zest and juice. Whisk to combine.
Whisk the flour, sea salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
Make a well in the center of the flour and gradually pour the egg mixture into it. Slowly whisk with circular motions to incorporate the egg mixture and flour until it is mostly smooth (it is ok to have some lumps).
Pour the cake mixture into the pan. Smooth the surface and sprinkle two tablespoons of sugar on top.
Bake cake until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes.
Every oven is different so check often and bake a little longer if needed. Cover top with aluminum foil if it is browning too soon.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool before unmolding.

Notes

Pay attention to the egg temperature. Let the eggs reach room temperature. They will emulsify with the olive oil very nicely when whisked together.

Choose a good quality olive oil. When shopping, always pick extra virgin. For this recipe, ideally go for a premium mild-tasting extra virgin olive oil that is best enjoyed raw over vegetables, fish, etc.

For a budget-friendly option, reduce the amount of extra virgin olive oil to ½ of a cup and add ½ cup vegetable oil.

Substitutions

You can use any citrus fruit you like, meyer lemons, oranges, limes, etc.
Substitute plant-based milk for whole milk. You can substitute any milk alternative for milk in a 1:1 ratio. Almond and cashew milk are the best. But some options, like hemp milk or coconut milk, are not great because they will dominate the flavor of he cake.

Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on the products used.

Nutrition