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This Lemon Olive Oil Cake is light, zesty, unbelievably moist, and naturally vegan! Perfect for hosting brunch, Spring celebrations, or when you’re craving a light and bright dessert!
The Best Vegan Cake for Spring
Last spring, we couldn’t get enough of our Glazed Vegan Lemon Loaf and Vegan Lemon Posset, but this year we’re adding this lemon-infused olive oil cake to the rotation – and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
It’s just as soft and buttery as our Classic Vanilla Cake, but infused with the bright, citrusy punch of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
So if you love light and lemony desserts as much as we do, this olive oil cake is the perfect addition to your spring baking lineup!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Lemons: Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest is essential for that tangy, citrus flavor. Whatever you do, don’t skip on the zest here!
- Sugar: Granulated cane sugar sweetens the cake without affecting the final color or flavor. To ensure your cake is vegan, opt for organic sugar. We love the brand Wholesome.
- Soy milk: Adds moisture and plays a key role in binding the cake together thanks to its higher protein content.
- Olive oil: Adds a buttery richness that keeps the cake ultra-moist. We recommend extra virgin olive oil or a light-tasting olive oil.
- Flour: All-purpose flour keeps this cake light, fluffy, and moist.
- Leavening agents: You’ll need both baking soda and baking powder to give this cake a nice lift while baking.
- Turmeric: Optional, but a pinch of turmeric makes this cake look as bright and sunny as it tastes!
Equipment Needed
- 8” cake pan
- Parchment paper or non-stick spray
- Medium bowl
- Large bowl
- Toothpick
- Small saucepan
- Pastry brush
How to Make Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Baking your own cake from scratch is so much easier than it seems. This lemon cake batter comes together in just 15 minutes of hands-on time with just a few easy steps:
- Massage the lemon zest into the sugar until fragrant.
- Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Whisk until combined.
- Transfer to an 8” cake pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Prepare the homemade lemon simple syrup.
- Using a toothpick, poke holes all over the cake, and then brush the lemon syrup evenly over it.
- Set aside to cool completely, then slice and serve!
Can I make this cake gluten-free?
We have not tested a gluten-free version of this olive oil cake, but if you’d like to experiment at your own risk, we’d recommend swapping the all-purpose flour for a quality gluten-free flour blend, such as Bob’s Red Mill.
Swapping in individual gluten-free flour such as oat flour, almond flour, or coconut flour will not work.
Storage Instructions
The leftover cake will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days. We recommend heating the slice in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before serving as it will firm up in the fridge.
Can I freeze it?
To freeze, let the cake cool completely to room temperature, tightly wrap in a few layers of plastic wrap, then freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost on the kitchen counter until soft and room temperature again, then slice and enjoy!
Quick Tips
- Use our weighted measurements! For many of our baked goods, we include weighted measurements when precision matters most. In this vegan cake recipe, we’ve provided weights for the sugar and flour, since measuring these ingredients inaccurately can significantly impact the texture and outcome of your final cake.
- Don’t overmix the batter! Once you add the wet ingredients to the dry, mix just until everything is combined. Overdoing it can lead to a dense or rubbery cake, while gently mixing keeps the crumb soft and tender.
- Use room temperature soy milk and lemon juice. Letting your ingredients sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before mixing helps prevent the olive oil from seizing and ensures a smoother, more evenly mixed cake batter.
More Vegan Lemon Desserts to Try this Spring:
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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Lemon Olive Oil Cake Recipe
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 slices
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Lemon Olive Oil Cake is light, zesty, unbelievably moist, and naturally vegan! Perfect for hosting brunch, Spring celebrations, or when you’re simply craving a light and bright dessert!
Ingredients
Cake
- Zest of 4 large lemons
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup soy milk
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups (330g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric (optional, for color)
- Powdered sugar (optional, for topping)
Lemon syrup
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8” round or square pan with parchment paper and olive oil or non-stick spray.
- Add the sugar and lemon zest to a medium bowl. Using your hands, massage the lemon zest into the sugar until the sugar is fragrant and resembles wet sand.
- Add the wet ingredients. Add the soy milk, olive oil, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the bowl and whisk together until well combined. Set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and turmeric in a separate large bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until just combined.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Prepare the lemon syrup. While the cake bakes, add the sugar and lemon juice to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Poke the cake. When the cake is finished cooking, use a toothpick to poke holes all over the cake.
- Add the olive oil to the lemon syrup and mix. Brush the syrup evenly over the cake until the cake stops absorbing it–you might not use all of the syrup. Set aside to cool completely.
- Serve. Once the cake is completely cooled, remove it from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar (if desired), slice and serve!
Notes
- Storage: Leftover cake will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days. We recommend heating the slice in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before serving as it will firm up in the fridge.
- Freezing: Let the cake cool completely to room temperature, tightly wrap it in a few layers of plastic wrap, then freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost on the kitchen counter until soft and at room temperature again, then slice and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 47 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
