Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake (Easy Moist Recipe)

Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake is a delicious lemony cake with the most amazing flavor and moist texture. This classic Italian dessert is simple to make and is the perfect cake for any occasion!

If you love lemon cakes, then you need to give this Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake recipe a try. Made with just a few ingredients, this recipe comes together fast and is the perfect treat for breakfast or dessert. 

Italians make delicious lemon desserts like these Lemon Ricotta Cookies or this Lemon Polenta Cake. Treat your tastebuds with this Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake, Italian Orange Cake, or my Italian Lemon Drop Cookies. 

You’ll Love Lemon Olive Oil Cake! 

This recipe for Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake is a bright and simple treat that’s made with just a few ingredients. This single layer cake is full of lemon flavor and perfect with a cup of coffee or espresso. 

Lemons and olive oil pair perfectly together in this simple Italian dessert. This bright cake is great to have on hand for any occasion and tastes even better the next day. 

If you love the fruity flavors of extra virgin olive oil, you need to give this cake a try. Similar to my Olive Oil Bundt Cake, this cake stays moist for days and has the most amazing texture. 

You’re going to love the sweet and slightly dense texture of this cake and the moist crumbs. It’s great on its own with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, or serve it with fresh berries and whipped cream for an extra special treat. 

So, if you are looking for an elegant and simple lemony treat, be sure to give this Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake a try. You’re going to love it!

Ingredients

Lemons: you’ll need the juice and zest of two large fresh lemons for this Italian lemon olive oil cake recipe. I recommend using organic lemons if you have them. 

Olive Oil: use a high quality extra-virgin olive oil. Since the oil has a prominent flavor here, use something with a mild fruity finish. 

Flour: you’ll need all purpose flour. Cake flour is a fine substitute. Weighing the flour is the best way to get an accurate measurement. 

Eggs: use three large room temperature eggs for this Italian lemon cake. 

Milk: here you can use whole milk or 2% milk. 

Baking soda and powder: you will need both baking soda and baking powder to help this cake rise and get the best texture. 

Salt: kosher salt is ideal when cooking. 

Lemon extract (optional): you can add a bit of lemon extract to the batter, however I prefer to just use the lemon juice and lemon zest. 

How to Make Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake

This recipe for Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake comes together fast and only requires a few ingredients. Make this using just a whisk, no electric mixer required. 

Start by preheating your oven and placing the baking rack in the center. Grease a 9-inch round springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside. 

Step 1: mix dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. 

Step 2: make the batter

Then, in a separate large bowl, use a whisk (not a hand mixer) to mix together the sugar, olive oil, and eggs. Whisk until they are just combined. (You don’t want the eggs to get frothy). 

Then, mix in the zest and juice of two large lemons. Alternate adding in the flour mixture and milk until the cake batter just comes together. Be careful not to over mix. 

Step 3: pour into prepared pan and bake

Pour the cake batter into the prepared springform pan using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and get all of the batter out. To ensure the batter doesn’t leak, consider wrapping the bottom of the pan with foil. 

Bake on the center rack in preheated oven for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. For best results, let the cake sit on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, before removing the collar and letting it cool completely. 

Step 4: decorate and serve

Once the Italian lemon olive oil cake has completely cooled, carefully remove the bottom of the pan and place on a serving platter. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.

You can serve with fresh fruit, whipped cream, or lemon curd.   

Helpful Recipe Tips

• This cake is best made in a 9-inch springform pan but you could use a 9×9 inch baking pan or a cake pan with tall sides. 
• Be sure you are just combining the ingredients rather than beating them together. You don’t want frothy eggs for this recipe. 
• You can top your cooled Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake with a dusting of powdered sugar or make a simple lemon glaze out of lemon juice and powder sugar. 
• Bake the cake until it is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. 
• Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or up to a month in the freezer. 

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