One taste of this olive oil bundt cake and you'll be hooked. This Italian dessert or breakfast Ciambella is made with olive oil, greek yogurt, lemon juice and zest, and is topped with a lemon honey glaze.
If you've never had an olive oil bundt cake, you may be skeptical. However, I guarantee that one taste and you'll be converted! And no, you can't taste the olive oil.
The simple act of using the combination of olive oil and greek yogurt instead of butter and milk, gives the moistest and most flavorful cake you can imagine.
This Italian olive oil bundt cake is a traditional baked good that'll you find at any Italians' kitchen. In fact, it is commonly stored right on the countertop in a domed glass pedestal so that guests can help themselves.
Olive Oil Yogurt Bundt Cake is a great recipe to have on hand for brunches or breakfast too. Not a lemon fan? You could swap out the lemon for other citrus such as orange or grapefruit. Moreover, you could omit the lemon altogether and add an additional two teaspoons of vanilla.
Traditional Italian Cakes
There are some amazing traditional Italian cake recipes out there. With flavors like amaretto, lemon, and almond, these cake are a must-try for every occasion.
If you love amaretto, then you have to try Amaretto Pound Cake - this rich pound cake is flavored with amaretto and topped with a hot butter amaretto glaze.
Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake is another Italian favorite. This particular recipe is super moist and yields the most flavorful lemon cake you can imagine.
Limoncello Tiramisu is a fun take on classic tiramisu. Using limoncello liqueur instead of espresso, gives this tiramisu as spring and summer vibe.
Last, but certainly not least, if you are a lover of traditional Italian cakes, then you need to try Almond Ricotta Cake. This cake is so moist and flavorful and would be great for brunch, dessert, or just a tasty snacking cake to have on hand.
How to make Olive Oil Bundt Cake
This simple recipe comes together fast and is incredibly easy to make. Firstly, you will need to grease a standard bundt cake pan. For a more festive look, you could use a Jubilee Pan or something similar.
In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Note that this recipe calls for both baking soda and baking powder. The baking powder in this recipe allows the cake to rise, while the baking soda contributes to its tenderness. Set aside the dry ingredients.
Next, cream together the olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice using either a handheld mixer or whisk. Add in the yogurt, stirring to combine.
As for the lemon and lemon zest, I don't mention measurements in the recipe and instead call for one lemon. If you wanted to be precise, the lemon juice should yield about ⅓ of a cup while the zest should be about a tablespoon. My favorite tool for zesting the lemon is a microplane zester, then I always just squeeze the lemon directly in the bowl using a lemon squeezer.
Lastly, add in the dry ingredients and stir to just combine. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt cake pan and use a spatula to smooth the top.
Bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Set aside on a rack to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely before adding glaze.
Honey Lemon Glaze
The glaze for this Olive Oil Bundt Cake is so simple and quick to put together. While the cake is great by itself, adding the glaze really makes it more festive and adds sweetness.
Once the cake has cooled to room temperature you can prepare the glaze. It takes just minutes to make, so no need to do ahead.
Firstly, whisk together the honey, milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a bowl. If the honey is lumpy or won't combine, you may need to warm it slightly in the microwave so that it incorporates with the other ingredients.
Then, just stir in the powdered sugar. You can always thin the glaze out with more milk or thicken it with more powdered sugar to get the consistency you like. The glaze should be thick but not too runny.
Lastly, just drizzle the glaze overtop of the cake in a back and forth motion.
How to Store a Bundt Cake
Bundt cakes are great make-ahead recipes with a relatively long shelf life. There are a couple of options on how to store your bundt depending on when you plan on eating it.
You can store your bundt cake, covered, at room temperate for about 3-4 days. This is a beautiful cake to display on your countertop in a domed pedestal. However, don't slice the bundt ahead of time as it may dry out. Instead keep it intact and slice right before serving.
Refrigerating the bundt really increases the shelf life of the cake. A traditional bundt like this Orange Mascarpone Ciambella will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to two weeks so long as you store it in an airtight container. Avoid slicing the cake as this can also dry it out. Also, be sure to try my Cranberry Ricotta Cake!
Lastly, you can store your bundt in the freezer for up to two months. This is one of my favorite ways to do it because it greatly extends the life of the bundt. Here, you can slice the cake ahead of time and store in an airtight container. Then just bring to room temperature before eating.
Hope you love this recipe for Olive Oil Bundt Cake with Greek Yogurt and Lemon. Be sure to comment below if you try it. Enjoy!
Olive Oil Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Standard Bundt Pan
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1 cup greek yogurt (nonfat works)
Honey Lemon Glaze
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and zest until well combined. Add in the yogurt and flour and mix until well combined.
- Pour the batter into to prepared bundt pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the honey, lemon juice, milk, and zest until well combined. Add in the powdered sugar and mix to combine. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Priya Lakshminarayan
That looks delicious..I am yet to try a Bundt cake..this is surely tempting me to.
angelakallison
Give it a try... you're going to love it!
Kait | Slumber & Scones
Ooh I love olive oil cakes so much. They have the perfect texture. And that lemon honey glaze sounds absolutely divine. I can't wait to try!
Erika
This bundt cake is gorgeous. Lemon is my favorite!
Tara
Such a beautiful bundt cake! Love that color and it sounds incredible with the honey lemon glaze.
Toni
This cake is really a must-make! So fantastic!
angelakallison
So happy you loved it!
Filomena Ammaturo
I made this cake today without the frosting. Omg so yummy & light! A definite repeat. 😋
angelakallison
So happy you loved it!
Bethany
Amazing every time! This is my go-to cake when I want something extra special. Super easy to make, pantry ingredients, and bakes up perfect every single time. I have noticed that cooking the full 55-60 minutes is super helpful for releasing in my Bundt pan. It starts to pull from the edge and look lightly browned around min 50, so you may think it needs to be pulled out but keep it going. It creates the most beautiful crust and the turns out from the pan easily. The cake isn’t overdone and is still very moist with a tender crumb. Best part is it gets better sitting on the counter covered for a couple days (that is, if it lasts that long)! I’ve also experimented with other citrus (mandarins) and it was amazing too. Add this to your rotation and impress yourself, your family, and friends!
angelakallison
Thanks for the comment! This is one of my favorite go-to cakes as well! 🙂
Carol D.
Just finished making for the first time. Very simple to put together. Smells wonderful! thanks for such an easy, beautiful cake. Will definiteiy be making again.
angelakallison
Thanks for the comment. So happy you loved it!
Serena
Followed the recipe exactly as written and it was delicious! My friends and family raved! I made it 3 days in advance of serving. It was so easy to make! I never expected it would taste so phenomenal!
angelakallison
Thanks for the great comment! So happy you loved it!
Kate
@Serena, What kind of olive oil did you use?
Miriam
This cakes was so moist, and delicious ❤️❤️💋
angelakallison
So happy you loved it!
glg
First time making an olive oil cake, this was so easy and yummy! I did half the sugar in the cake, didn’t have greek yogurt so I did plain cashew yogurt, and extra lemon juice no zest. Also just used the rest of the powder sugar I had, and baked it for 45min. It all turned out great, amazingly! Thank you for this easy yummy recipe!
Jennifer
Can I use canola oil instead of olive oil? what kind of olive oil did you use?
angelakallison
I would recommend olive oil for this cake. I use extra virgin olive oil.
Raya
This recipe was amazing, thank you! I cut out about 1 cup of the powdered sugar in the frosting because it tasted sweet enough as is. Will make this again!
angelakallison
Thanks for the comment! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Donna
Angela can you give more nutritional information as to the carbohydrates and sodium? Thank you
angelakallison
Hi Donna. I have just updated the recipe card to include this information. Hope this helps! Enjoy 🙂
Chantal .s
Great olive cake fellow the recipe and was 😋
angelakallison
Thank you! 🙂