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
- ¾ cup Bari's Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 cup non-dairy milk, I use soy
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon zest
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
Toppings
- 2 tbsp. powdered sugar
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- ¼ 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
Micah says
Wow, this is SO good! It came out super moist and flavorful. You would never know that the only fat was olive oil, and that it is totally vegan.
I only made two adjustments-- I added a teaspoon of lemon extract for an extra punch of flavor and I ended up using 2 9" pans instead of 1. The cake rose quite a bit in the oven, and I'm so glad I did.
Thank you for this winner of a recipe!
SBP says
sure hope it doesn't rise much 😅 I used a 9" pan and the batter goes right to the rim!
batter smells and tastes amazing. added some fiori di sicilia for extra flavour 🙂
Michelle says
This was such a great cake! I have a lot of food allergies so i was so excited to find this cake. Thank you!
Dianne says
Simply delicious!
One of the best cakes I’ve ever made. The lemon and olive oil flavors both shone through, without one overtaking the other. It developed a beautiful, crackled crust on the top which was delightful. We topped it with a dusting of 10X and it was perfect. My grandson, who typically eats just the frosting off the top of cakes, devoured a big piece in less than a minute 😉
As an aside, I used almond milk, as that is what I had on hand.
Sarah says
Best cake! So moist. Every time I make it people adore it. I’ve done different versions with orange and cardamom, pumpkin, vegan chocolate icing. The original is the best but very versatile. Thanks! Do you have another favorite variation?
Moonlightsong says
Very lovely and forgiving recipe. I made this with kindergarten children in my class. I want to show them that vegan food can be delicious. So we made this with a lot of mishap. kinda forgot to whisk the batter, just stir it until combined, and the stir the combined batter and dry ingredients vigorously, it still turn out ok. The children demolished the cake. So, I made again the next day, and it turned out very nice even without whisking the batter
Ginger says
Love this cake! Made it with a bit more juice but other than that followed the recipe to a t. Came out very moist. The center fell through a bit but that didn't bother me. Very moist and delicious. Highly recommend eating it with some sort of whipped cream
Sarah says
My go to cake at home. So moist and delicious! Did it with pineapple juice last night. I’ve also tried orange and cardamom. Thanks!
Jo says
Myself and all of my friends - vegan or not - absolutely loved this cake! I'm making it again for my boyfriend's birthday as this is the only thing he requested!
Michele says
Haven’t tasted yet, but it fell in the middle after rising nicely in the oven. I guess I’m filling the middle with berries - as Julia Child famously said, “Who’s to know?”😁
Ella says
What can be used instead of applesauce as we dont get it here.
Thanks
Jess says
You can microwave apple slices in a lidded bowl until tender, then measure 1/2 cup tightly-packed cooked apple instead of apple sauce and whiz them in the food processor along with the soy milk and molasses.
Bella says
This is spectacular!! And super easy. Thank you!
Sarah says
I put in half the sugar, and half the flour I subbed using 1/4 cup coconut flour and 1/4 cup almond flour. I also added in some rosemary. Can I say that this was the BEST cake I ever made. Perfect for spring/summer! The only negative is that because it’s so delicious, it’s hard to not eat it all at once!
Faith says
Hello!!
I am hoping you will see this before Saturday! I am making my friends birthday cake using this recipe for the sponge, but I am making it very small. I’m using 4” rounds. Do you have any suggestions for baking time/batter volume per pan? Looking to make a 4 layer cake. Thank you!!
Christina says
This cake is so good! So moist and flavourful. I added a lemon drizzle on top and it was perfect. I'll have to keep this cake in my repertoire because it was so easy and quick to make.
Renee says
a staple in our house!
Kathy says
We loved it. Made exactly as written and couldn't be happier. I did make a lemon glaze to top it, which added another lemon kick, but it was great without the glaze too. My husband wanted a lemon pound cake, and this came up when searching for a vegan version. I'm glad it did. Thanks for sharing!