Olive Oil Cake

Tender and moist with just the right amount of citrus, this lemony olive cake is a guaranteed winner. Even if you are a novice baker, with the right ingredients, you can knock this cake recipe out of the park!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Resting Time 10

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 443kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into a measuring cup and leveled
½ cup yellow cornmeal
2½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups granulated sugar
1⅓ cups extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or one teaspoon of almond extract)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
Grease a 10-inch cake pan generously and line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk the eggs, sugar, olive oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and juice in another bowl.
Next, combine the wet and dry ingredients, mixing until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the bowl's sides as you mix.
Pour your olive cake batter into the prepared cake pan.
Bake the olive cake for 40-45 minutes (or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean).
Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing it to a wire rack. (Remember to remove the parchment paper.) Allow the cake to cool completely.
Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with fruit and whipped cream, and enjoy!

Notes

To make sure you use the right amount of flour, fluff it with a spoon before adding it to your measuring cup (instead of scooping, which can pack the flour down). Level it off with a knife before adding it to your mixing bowl. This will keep your olive cake light and fluffy, as it should be.
If you are using a fresh lemon, remember to zest it before squeezing the juice. And speaking of zesting, get just the yellow part of the peel. You'll get bitter zest if you grate down through the white pith.
Try not to overmix your batter, so the cake doesn't turn out dense and tough.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition