• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
I Heart Eating
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
      • Work with Me
    • Rules and Disclosures
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Press
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Desserts » Olive Oil Cake

    Olive Oil Cake

    Published: Mar 2, 2020 · Modified: Mar 2, 2020 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Moist olive oil cake is an easy, one-bowl cake that's a great alternative to pound cake. This simple cake recipe is made with pantry staples and takes almost no prep work to make.

    Slice of olive oil cake topped with powdered sugar and sliced almonds

    I love simple, homey cakes that I can whip up in no time and serve with in-season fruit. This olive oil cake doesn't disappoint!

    It's incredibly easy to make, and it's made with pantry staples. This cake tastes great on its own or with fresh fruit like peaches or strawberries.

    What is olive oil cake?

    This is a simple moist cake that uses olive oil as the main fat.

    What does this taste like?

    Not like olive oil! Before I tried it, I imagined that this cake would taste like sweet olive oil, which wasn't very appetizing. Thankfully, this isn't the case.

    Olive oil cakes are usually flavored with citrus, chocolate, or almond. Lemon is the most common flavoring, but the cake is neutral and lends itself to any number of flavors. So, the cake tastes like whatever flavoring is used.

    Ingredients

    • All-purpose flour
    • Baking powder
    • Kosher salt (or table salt)
    • Large eggs
    • Granulated sugar
    • Almond extract
    • Extra-virgin olive oil
    • Milk
    • Sliced almonds

    How to make olive oil cake

    One of the great things about this cake is that it doesn't take much prep or planning. There's no need to soften butter or let eggs come to room temperature before starting.

    Olive oil cake batter in a silver mixing bowl

    Whisk the eggs until foamy. Add part of the sugar and the almond extract. Beat until thick and pale.

    Stream in the oil with the mixture going. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt, and then stir in the milk. Don't overmix.

    Pour the batter into the springform pan.

    Olive oil cake batter in pan and baked cake

    Sprinkle batter with sliced almonds and remaining granulated sugar. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then remove the sides of the pan to let the cake finish cooling.

    Tips

    • Eggs: The eggs and milk will incorporate better if they're at room temperature. It takes approximately 30 minutes for eggs and milk to reach room temperature after removed from the fridge.
    • Olive oil: I use extra-virgin olive oil, and there's no olive oil taste to the cake. If you're concerned about the taste, look for a light-tasting olive oil to use in this cake.
    • Kosher salt: You can use ½ teaspoon of table salt (be sure to use ½ teaspoon, not tablespoon) in place of the kosher salt.
    • Milk: You can use any milk from skim to whole milk. Whole milk will give you a slightly richer cake.
    • Non-Dairy: You can also use a nondairy milk, like almond milk, if you prefer.
    • Springform pan: If you are worried that your springform pan may leak, place it on a baking sheet to catch any drips.

    Slice of olive oil cake on a white next next to a forkMore easy cake recipes!

    • Homemade German Chocolate Cake
    • Texas Sheet Cake
    • Six Minute Chocolate Cake

    If you’ve tried this olive oil cake recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!

    You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    Slice of olive oil cake topped with powdered sugar and sliced almonds

    Olive Oil Cake

    Moist almond olive oil cake
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 10 pieces
    Calories: 385kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Ingredients

    • 3 large eggs at room temperature
    • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar divided
    • ½ teaspoon almond extract
    • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil1
    • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt2
    • ¾ cup milk3 at room temperature
    • ¼ cup sliced almonds
    • Powdered sugar optional
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
    • Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute.
    • Add 1 ⅓ cups sugar and almond extract.
    • Beat on high until mixture has thickened and is and pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
    • Reduce speed to medium and, with mixer running, slowly stream in oil.
    • Mix until oil is fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
    • Whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt together just until combined.
    • Add milk and stir in just until combined.
    • Pour batter into prepared pan.
    • Sprinkle almonds over the batter.
    • Sprinkle remaining sugar (a generous 2 tablespoons) over almonds and batter.
    • Bake about 40-45 minutes, or until cake is deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached.
    • Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.
    • Remove side of pan and let cake cool completely, about 1 ½ hours.
    • Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
    • Cut into wedges and serve.

    Notes

    1. I like to use extra-virgin olive oil. However, you can use any type that you like. 
    2. Or ½ teaspoon of table salt. 
    3. You can use any milk from skim to whole milk. Whole milk will give you a slightly richer cake. You can also use a nondairy milk, like almond milk, if you prefer. 
    4. If you are worried that your springform pan may leak, place it on a baking sheet to catch any drips.
    5. Nutrition values are estimates. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1piece | Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1.5mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!

    Originally published 6/5/18. Updated with tips and information 3/2/20.

    « 30 Minute Honey Butter Rolls
    Banana Crumb Muffins »
    1.8K shares
    • Facebook
    • Email

    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Julie P

      December 13, 2021 at 7:51 pm

      5 stars
      I was also a skeptic of the olive oil cake and boy was I wrong. The cake was moist and flavorful. I followed the recipe as written, but will experiment with flavors next time. This recipe is a keeper.

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 15, 2021 at 1:18 pm

        I'm glad that you liked the cake!

        Reply
    2. Pokemon Fan

      March 19, 2021 at 11:36 am

      5 stars
      I love this olive oil cake recipe!

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 19, 2021 at 12:21 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    3. Shirley Leto

      March 06, 2021 at 4:34 pm

      Excellent! This is the first olive oil cake I have made and eaten. I substituted almond extract fir vanilla and put 1T each of orange & lemon rind. Yum! Yum! Yum!
      This recipe goes into my recipe box. Ty

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 06, 2021 at 11:33 pm

        Thank you so much! That sounds delicious!

        Reply
    4. Lai

      February 20, 2021 at 10:07 pm

      So delicious! Cooked in an 8” pan instead, so it took an hour & rose higher in the middle—which made for a very dramatic and beautiful presentation. Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 22, 2021 at 12:00 pm

        Thank you! I'm glad you liked the cake!

        Reply
    5. Milena

      January 24, 2021 at 8:51 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! My first olive oil cake, very pleased! I switched it up and added poppyseeds and made a lemon glaze, finished with lemon zest and more poppyseeds. I will be making this again ??

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 26, 2021 at 9:58 pm

        Thank you so much! And thanks for sharing your twist!

        Reply
    6. Anna

      August 24, 2020 at 7:59 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe. I was sceptical and so pleasantly surprised! I did not have almond oil on hand so I zested a lemon in the batter instead and it was delicious.

      Reply
      • Kate

        August 25, 2020 at 8:13 am

        Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

        Reply
    7. Amy

      March 04, 2020 at 1:37 pm

      5 stars
      I loved this cake, it was moist and had a great flavor. Will make again.

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 04, 2020 at 1:58 pm

        Thank you! I'm glad that you liked it. Thanks for commenting! =)

        Reply
    8. Marie W

      August 16, 2019 at 3:21 pm

      5 stars
      My daughter, who loves to bake, looked up your recipe and decided to make it. So glad she did because it was delicious!!! ? She substituted almond milk (because of dietary reasons) for regular milk, vanilla extract for almond extract, and we toasted some slivered almonds and added those. It gave it a nice texture to such a moist, delicious cake. This recipe will definitely be a staple in our kitchen. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Kate

        August 17, 2019 at 11:57 am

        Thank you so much! I'm glad to hear that almond milk worked well in the cake. It's helpful to hear back about subs that work well. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

        Reply
    9. Frank Napolitano

      March 03, 2019 at 4:59 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was delicious. Instead of almonds, I went with orange zest. Tasted delicious, perfect texture.

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 04, 2019 at 9:36 am

        Thank you so much! That sounds like a delicious twist on the cake. =) Thanks for taking the time to comment!

        Reply
    10. Anne

      February 07, 2019 at 11:07 pm

      Does it matter what kind milk you use? Does it have to be full milk?

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 08, 2019 at 9:25 am

        No, anything from skim to whole milk will work. You'll end up with a little richer cake with whole milk, but I usually use 1% or 2% because that's what we have on-hand. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    11. Reggie Theisen

      January 11, 2019 at 11:21 am

      can you substitute Splenda for the sugar?

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 12, 2019 at 1:23 pm

        Hi! I haven't tried using Splenda in this recipe, so I can't say for certain.

        Reply
    12. Claire

      January 02, 2019 at 5:52 pm

      I actually scaled this up by 1/4 and it worked well. Takes an hour instead of 45 min to bake if you do it. Excellent recipe, will certainly make again!

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 03, 2019 at 10:03 pm

        Good! I'm glad it worked out and that you liked the cake. =) Thank you for commenting!

        Reply
    13. Jennifer Jackson

      October 19, 2018 at 6:30 pm

      5 stars
      I made it for the first time today using fat free milk and it was awesome. I will be making this again.

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 20, 2018 at 10:14 am

        Thank you! I'm so glad that you liked it! This is one of my favorite cakes, and I love to hear that other people are enjoying it, too. =)

        Reply
    14. Linda

      October 08, 2018 at 10:08 am

      5 stars
      I was pleasantly surprised at just how good this cake was! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 08, 2018 at 11:43 am

        Thank you! This is one of my favorite cakes. I love to hear that other people are enjoying it, too. =)

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate this recipe:




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    I’m Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family’s favorite tried-and-true recipes.

    More about me →

    4th of July Recipes

    • Red White and Blue M&M Cookies
    • Red White and Blue Cupcakes
    • Red White & Blue Marble Cake
    • Red White and Blue Rice Krispies Treats

    Summer Favorites

    • Zucchini Bread
    • Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
    • Pasta Salad Recipe
    • Homemade Funnel Cake
    • Golden Graham S'mores
    • Broccoli Salad
    • Strawberry Jello Pie
    • Simple Turkey Burger Recipe

    Popular Posts

    • Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
    • Brownie Cookie Recipe
    • Whipped Buttercream Frosting without Powdered Sugar
    • Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins

    Subscribe via email

    to stay in the loop on new posts!

    Footer

    As Featured In

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Legal
    • Rules and Disclosures

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me
    • Press

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 I Heart Eating

    1.8K shares