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Desserts

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose plain flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup (250g) dairy-free milk, room temperature
  • ½ cup (125g) extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅓ cup (80g) lemon juice
  • ~2 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Icing

  • 1 ½ cups (150g) powdered sugar / icing sugar
  • 2–3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 cup (150g) fresh berries

Notes

  • This lemon cake works well with King Arthur’s gluten-free measure for measure flour. If using, bake for 5–10 minutes longer.
  • You’ll need around 2–3 medium lemons to yield the amount of lemon juice and zest for the recipe.
  • Alternatively, you can enjoy the cake plain, topped with fresh berries or a light dusting of powdered / icing sugar.

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
  2. Add all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) to a large bowl. Mix until there are no lumps. Add all the wet ingredients (milk, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla) and mix until just combined.
  3. Pour the lemon cake batter into your prepared pan. Smooth the surface if necessary.
  4. Bake the cake for 1 hour or until you can insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and there's no wet batter on it. As this is a moist cake, some crumbs on your toothpick are fine. If the surface of your cake is browning too quickly, carefully tent the pan with aluminum foil.
  5. Allow the cake to cool in the loaf tin for 10 minutes, then let the cake cool on a cooling rack.
  6. Make the icing: Add the lemon juice and sugar to a medium bowl and mix until smooth. Add more lemon juice or non-dairy milk for a thinner icing (like a lemon glaze) or more powdered sugar for a thicker icing.
  7. Drizzle the icing over your cooled cake. If desired, top the cake with berries just before serving.
  8. Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for up to 3 days. The cake can be stored without the icing in the freezer for up to 1 month.