Olive Oil Cake
Updated August 14, 2026
Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus cooling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 cup/240 milliliters good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
2 cups/255 grams all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups/300 grams granulated sugar, plus about 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ¼ cups/295 milliliters whole milk, at room temperature
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Oil the parchment. Leave the sides of the pan bare.
- Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- Step 3
In the bowl of an electric mixer set on high, beat the sugar, eggs and lemon zest until very thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer still running, slowly drizzle in the oil and beat until incorporated, another 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add milk and lemon juice. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smooth the top using an offset spatula and sprinkle the top with about 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Step 4
Bake the cake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. (Tent loosely with foil if the top is browning too fast.) Transfer to a rack to cool for 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to release the sides of the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate and then flip it back over onto the rack to cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Private Notes
Comments
This is one of my "back pocket recipes." Elegant, easy, frugal. Best of all it is endlessly riffable. I have swapped out the lemon zest for vanilla extract; almond extract and slivered almond/sugar topping; mini chocolate chips; minced rosemary. I bake it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, then check for doneness every 5-10 minutes. Perfect. 375 degrees is too high for me and causes the top to brown way too quickly. I use a Nordic 9-inch round cake pan (the best!) and have no issues with spillage.
This cake was so good, I surprised myself! Definitely use a springform pan, and check the cake every 5-10 minutes after 45 minutes. I ended up cooking for 60 minutes, but the top middle still had a little pudding consistency. This is GOOD. I probably could have baked five minutes less, but the cake was still delicious and moist. I served with marscapone whipped cream and balsamic strawberries. OUT OF THIS WORLD.
A 9-inch round cake pan was much too small for this recipe. It ran out over the sides - luckily I had it on a baking sheet. Use two 9-inch cake pans instead and split it between the two of them
Love this. I will say the first time I made it I followed the recipe exactly and found it lacked a little acidity and was more eggy, like a frittata. Slowly boosting the amount of lemon zest and juice each time I make it has helped.
I read through many of the comments before I started cooking and made a few adjustments: I used less sugar (about one cup), I doubled the lemon zest and rubbed it into the sugar, and used soy milk instead of whole milk. I cooked it in a springform pan because it’s what I had. Turned out fantastic! I’m eager to try the recipe again using orange instead of lemon. Thanks for this great recipe, Sam!
Sides stuck to the pan a little. Will oil the sides next time.