Best Lemon Olive Oil Cake

It's perfect on its own or served with whipped cream and fresh summer berries. This Spanish lemon olive oil cake is easy to make and packed with lemon flavor. It's extra moist from the addition of ground almonds.

Try it today -- it takes only an hour to make! My favorite olive oil cakes are moist and rich, usually combined with citrus, and bursting with flavor. Sometimes I add in fruit like apples or grapes or top my olive oil cakes with glazes and nuts.

But usually, I keep them as is -- they're simply perfect without any fancy additions! This recipe for Spanish lemon olive oil cake is very simple and uses plain Greek yogurt, lots of lemon zest, and ground almonds to make it stand out. It makes the perfect merienda or a quick bite for breakfast.

For more olive oil based recipes, see my guide to baking with olive oil and don't miss my classic Spanish magdalenas recipe.

Key Ingredients

Key Ingredients: Flour, ground almonds, salt, baking powder, sugar, lemon zest, eggs, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, and powdered sugar.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Lemon: The lemon flavor in this cake is intense and delicious! This is due to using both lemon zest and juice in the recipe. Feel free to experiment with other citrus fruits (orange is lovely) but I prefer the classic lemon every day.
• Olive Oil: This is the key to this cake's amazing texture and flavor. Use the best olive oil you can get -- and look for a fruity variety, such as the Spanish hojiblanca or arbequina.
• Flour: I call for cake flour as I think it takes this recipe up a notch, but all-purpose will do fine. Read about the differences here.
• Almonds: I use a portion of ground almonds (also called almond meal or almond flour) in this cake. You can substitute for hazelnut or even walnuts -- or just use more plain flour and omit.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake: Step by Step The best part of this lemon olive oil cake is how easy it is to make.

Here are my step-by-step instructions. For the full printable recipe card with exact measurements, keep scrolling down!

Steps 1-2: Start with a medium-sized bowl. Here you'll combine the flour, ground almonds, salt, and baking powder.

Steps 3-4: Next, in a separate bowl, massage the lemon zest into the sugar. This releases its oils and packs the cake with lemon flavor! Steps 5-6: Now, in another bowl, start to beat the eggs with the sugar mixture.

Mix for about two minutes on medium high, until light and fluffy (the mixture should just about double in size). Steps 7-8: Once combined, start to incorporate the yogurt and the lemon juice.

Beat until everything is combined. Steps 9-10: Slowly beat in the olive oil to make sure it mixes fully into the batter.

When everything is homogenous, start to fold in the flour mixture using a rubber spatula. Steps 11-12: Fold until everything is evenly mixed and pour into a greased and floured 9.5 inch (24 cm) cake pan. Bake for about 50 minutes at 375°F (190°C).

Start checking at about the 40 minute mark, in case your oven runs hot. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out totally clean. Steps 13-14: Let the cake cool for about 20 minutes or so (tough to do, but necessary!).

Then dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Recipe Tips & FAQs

Can you freeze lemon olive oil cake?

Of course! Let the cake cool completely, and then wrap tightly in at least two layers of plastic wrap, followed by one layer of aluminum foil.

You can wrap the whole cake or freeze it in individual slices. Is it better to use butter or olive oil in a cake?

Both are great options, although olive oil is arguably healthier. The main difference is flavor and texture. Depending on the olive oil you use, you may taste the unique flavor of the oil in the end result.

You’ll also have a moist cake when using olive oil in most recipes. Are olive oil cakes healthier than butter ones?

Olive oil cakes that are made with virgin or extra virgin olive oil have the health benefits of olive oil as opposed to the unhealthy effects from a refined oil or an animal fat like butter. So they are a slightly healthier choice (as well as being vegan and vegetarian friendly). How long does lemon olive oil cake last in the fridge?

You can store this cake in the fridge for one week, or on the counter for a few days.

Serving Suggestions

This is one of those cakes that's perfect as-is -- it doesn't need a thing!

That said, I love to dust it with powdered sugar. And in the summertime I've also served it with fresh unsweetened whipped cream and fresh berries.

And when there's cake, here in Spain there's also coffee! Don't forget to make a hot café con leche to accompany your snack.