Italian inspired moist lemon olive oil cake with a hint of lemon has a crunchy top after its baked and a light soft centre.
The olive oil cake recipe was adapted and halved from an Italian bundt cake into a lemon loaf cake, as I wanted to bake a small cake. Once the lemon olive oil cake is cooked the flavour of the olive oil is very subtle and not overpowering. A lactose-free cake as it is a dairy-free recipe and I have used oat milk in the lemon cake.
If you would prefer a spelt flour lemon cake then this recipe like many of Sue Maree P recipes would adapt well.
If you are looking for a lactose-free cake recipe or dessert without butter then I would highly recommend baking this at home. Olive Oil cake is delicious served with fruit and ice cream for dessert or perfect as a breakfast cake with a cup of coffee.
Ingredients
- Lemons – 1 to 2
- Large eggs – 3
- Plain flour or Spelt Flour – 225g (2 1/4 cups)
- Baking powder – 3 tsp
- Bicarbonate of soda – 1/4 tsp
- Salt – 1/4 tsp
- Oat milk or whole milk – 125ml (1/2 cup)
- Castor sugar – 150g (3/4 cup)
- Lemon Zest – 3 tsp
- Lemon Juice – 4 tbsp (1/4 cup)
- Olive Oil (extra virgin good quality) – 120ml
Method
- PREHEAT oven 170˚C fan
- PREPARE a small loaf tin (1 lb) and grease the base and sides with butter and line with baking paper
- ADD lemon juice to milk in a jug or small bowl and rest for 10-15 mins
- MIX eggs, olive oil, zest in a jug or small bowl
- WHISK all dry ingredients in a large bowl; sifted flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt
- COMBINE both wet and dry ingredients in the large bowl with a large wooden spoon or use your electric beater or your stand mixer on low and gently mix until all the flour mix is incorporated
- POUR mix into your prepared tin. This yields a large small loaf so the baking tin will be full, but don't be worried this will not overflow.
- BAKE for 50-60 minutes
- ONCE baked and golden brown. Rest for at least 30 minutes
- DUST with icing sugar to serve. A perfect addition to afternoon tea. When fresh the outside edge is crunchy and the middle is soft.
Sue Maree P Baking Tips
- Eggs – make sure you bake with large eggs that are at room temperature.
- Olive Oil – use a good quality Italian extra virgin olive oil
- Lemons – use unwaxed lemons if available and always wash before use
- Baking – always preheat your oven and bake on the middle shelf. If you have an oven thermometer check your ovens temperature prior to baking your cake
- Flour – if you would prefer to use self-raising flour leave our the baking powder
- Vegan – I haven't made this recipe vegan before however, it may work using yoghurt instead of eggs or even try flax eggs. Recipe = 1 tbsp ground flax seed: 3 tbsp water, rest for 10-15mins.