Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 8 g baking powder
- 2 g baking soda
- 3 g salt, fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 180 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 60 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 120 ml unsweetened oat milk, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 2 lemon, zested
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 453 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 52 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 26 g
- Sodium
- 243 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 17 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 70 mg
- Potassium
- 203 mg
- Calcium
- 95 mg
- Iron
- 1.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 10 mg
- Phosphorus
- 140 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 30 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 14 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.11 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 19 mcg
- Water
- 26 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 23cm cake pan with a little olive oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it becomes highly fragrant and takes on a pale yellow color.
Add the olive oil, room temperature eggs, lemon juice, oat milk, and vanilla extract to the lemon sugar. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and thoroughly emulsified.
In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding gently with a silicone spatula until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as no dry streaks remain.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Carefully release from the pan and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
Chef's Notes
- The secret to a pronounced lemon flavor without excessive acidity is rubbing the zest into the sugar. Do not skip this step.
- Choose an extra virgin olive oil that you enjoy tasting on its own. A fruity, mild, or buttery oil is best for baking, as overly robust or peppery oils can overpower the cake.
- Combining the lemon juice and oat milk may cause slight curdling in the wet mix. This is completely normal and acts similarly to buttermilk, providing acid to tenderize the crumb and activate the baking soda.
- For an elegant finish, dust the completely cooled cake with powdered sugar or serve with fresh berries.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container or wrap tightly in plastic wrap to keep the crumb moist.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before freezing.
Troubleshooting
Cake is dense and heavy rather than light and tender
Cause: Overmixing the batter after adding the flour, which develops too much gluten, or using expired leavening agents.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Fold dry ingredients in gently until just combined. Always check expiration dates on baking powder and soda.
Bitter aftertaste
Cause: Zesting too deep into the bitter white pith of the lemon, or using an extremely robust, peppery olive oil.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Use a fine microplane to only remove the outermost yellow skin of the lemon. Taste your olive oil before baking.
Cultural Context
Olive oil cakes have deep roots in Mediterranean baking, particularly in Italian regions like Tuscany where olive oil was traditionally more accessible than butter. This dessert highlights the rustic elegance of Italian cooking by relying on simple, high-quality pantry staples. The result is a naturally dairy-free cake known as Torta all'Olio d'Oliva, celebrated for its uniquely moist texture and longevity.
