Brighten your day with this moist, zesty citrus olive oil cake! Bursting with citrus flavor and a tender crumb, it’s perfect for any occasion.
This delightful Citrus and Olive Oil Cake recipe was inspired by a coffee date with a friend. She’s lactose intolerant and rarely gets the chance to enjoy cake, so I set out to create something special just for her.
Many recipes replace butter and milk with olive oil, but I’ve often found them to be a bit too dense. To solve this, I decided to whip the eggs for a lighter texture. The result? A beautifully airy cake that I’m absolutely thrilled with!
Why This Recipe Works
- Bright Citrus Flavor: A zesty mix of orange, lemon, and tangerine for a bold, fresh flavor.
- Velvety Texture: Olive oil creates a moist, tender crumb that stays fresh for days.
- Simple Yet Elegant: Easy to make but fancy enough for a special occasion.
Wait… Does this cake actually taste like olive oil?
The flavor of your cake will depend on the type of olive oil you choose, but don’t worry—this recipe won’t leave you with an overpowering olive oil taste.
What Olive Oil To Choose
I used a mixture of light olive oil & extra virgin in equal parts for a subtle, delicate flavor. It adds a touch of richness that perfectly complements the citrus, acting as the secret ingredient that brings everything together.
For a richer, more robust olive flavor, opt for pure extra virgin olive oil. If you prefer a subtler taste, light olive oil offers a milder, more delicate profile.
Ingredient Notes
- Superfine Sugar/Granulated Sugar:
- Best Choice: Superfine sugar dissolves easily for a smooth batter.
- Substitutions: Use regular granulated sugar if needed.
- Eggs:
- Best Choice: Large, fresh eggs at room temperature for better volume.
- Substitutions: Use flax eggs (1 tbsp flaxseed + 2.5 tbsp water per egg) for a vegan version.
- Citrus Zest and Juice:
- Best Choice: Organic oranges, lemons, and tangerines for the best flavor and pesticide-free zest.
- Substitutions: Bottled juice in a pinch, but fresh is recommended.
- Olive Oil:
- Best Choice: Extra virgin olive oil for a stronger flavor or light olive oil for a lighter profile.
- Substitutions: Neutral oils like grapeseed or canola work, but the flavor won’t be the same.
Step By Step Instructions
You can find the full, printable recipe at the bottom of this post (click the button above), but you can read a summary with step-by-step instructions and photos for each step below.
Generously grease a 10-cup bundt pan with butter or oil and dust with flour. Preheat the Oven: to 350°F (180°C).
In a bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, and citrus zest until thick and pale (8–10 minutes).
Gradually add citrus juice and olive oil.
Sift all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt into the wet mixture. Mix until just combined.
Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Let cool for 5 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze whisk together powdered sugar and citrus juice until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Erren’s Top Tips
- Properly grease your pan and ensure it’s in good condition to prevent sticking.
- Look for extra virgin olive oil labeled “cold-pressed” for the freshest flavor.
- Use room-temperature eggs for a fluffier batter.
- Use a microplane zester to save time grating citrus zest.
- Don’t hold back on the zest—it adds a burst of flavor that makes all the difference.
- Avoid over-mixing the batter after adding the flour, as this can lead to a gummy texture.
- Let the cake cool slightly in the pan before carefully removing it.
Storage & Freezing Instructions ❄
Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Wrap slices individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
Other Great Lemon Recipes
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Let’s Make Citrus Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups superfine sugar or granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon citrus zest I used 1 orange and 1 lemon
- ½ cup freshly squeezed citrus juice I used 1 orange 1 lemon and 5 tangerines
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh citrus juice I used 4 tangerines
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C
- Generously grease a 10 cup bundt pan.
- Place the sugar, eggs, and zest in a bowl and whisk (about 8-10 minutes) until thick and pale.
- Add the juice and olive oil until combined.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix until just combined (do not over mix).
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Place on a cooling rack for 5 minutes until carefully turning out onto the rack to cool completely.
For the glaze:
- Whisk together the sugar and enough juice to make a drizzling consistency until smooth.
- Drizzle onto the cooled cake.
Alisa says
How do you store this cake? Can it be made a day early? Thanks.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Alisa, yes you can make this cake a day early. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours, in the fridge for three days and you can wrap and freeze it for up to three months. i hope this helps 🙂
Jules O says
Tried this recipe out today… FANTASTIC!
I had quite a bit of tangerines on hand so I used tangerines as the citrus zest and juice. I did double up my zest from recommended amount in recipe, but that was just preference as I wanted a strong tangerine impact. Also used Lemon Infused Olive Oil. The cake was incredible. Held together very well, yet was light and airy. Thanks for this recipe, it’s a keeper
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Jules, I’m glad you liked it 🙂
Jonathan Maer says
This has been my go-to dessert recipe this summer. I’ve made it in a full size bundt cake, but also recently in my mini bundt cake pan that makes 20. I had to reduce the cooking time to 20 minutes as they cook so much faster in the mini pans.
Erren's Kitchen says
Fantastic, I’m glad you like it and were able to make mini versions!
Sophia says
I made this recipe for the first time & I added a glazed caramel drippy frosting. The cake was soft & moist with a delicate fine crumb texture. A perfect, perfect recipe! Love that there’s no dairy! x
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so glad you liked it Sophia 🙂
Liana nierenberg says
Novice baker here and this recipe is sooooo good!! Thank you for making a beautiful dairy free cake so easy. Didn’t have a Bundt pan so I made the serving size 8 and used a 9’ regular round cake pan. Delicious!
Erren's Kitchen says
Fantastic, so glad you liked the recipe! Keep on baking!
Ambar Fleites says
AMAZING! Best Bundt cake I’ve made or eaten (and I’ve done plenty of both!) I added frozen blueberries, which made it take about 7 minutes longer, and kind of annihilated the top, but it just looks like a cake with blueberries preserve on top. This will absolutely be my go-to recipe from now on.
Erren's Kitchen says
That sounds quite lovely! Glad you enjoyed it!
Mel says
Hi Erren,
Arrived at this recipe after searching for a dairy free olive oil lemon bundt cake.
WOW!
This is the best cake to come out of my kitchen. I scaled the recipe for 8, used 4 eggs and added and extra 1/4 cup of flour, I used self-raising. The texture is perfect. I used my stand mixer and the recipe was easy. Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes.
Erren's Kitchen says
This is wonderful news! So glad your cake was a success! Thank you.
Alaya says
The best bundt cake i’ve ever ever eaten. By a mile. Butter or no butter.
I only had a 22cm bundt pan, smaller than your recipe. It needed 42mins. It rose a little over the top but didnt spill, and you cant tell once its turned right way up.
The texture is PERFECT.
The flavour is perfect.
Seriosly well done. Thanks.
Mariam says
Thank you Erren. This is a nice flavoured easy-made cake recipe. Our family loves it. Thank you for such an effort to make baking easier.
Erren's Kitchen says
This is so good to hear, so glad it was easy and everyone enjoyed it!
Shaini says
This is so good! I made it this morning and I can’t believe how fluffy the cake turned out. Thanks so much, this is definitely going to be made many more times!
Erren's Kitchen says
I love to hear this, thank you!
angela says
Would I have to adjust the recipe for a 12 cup bundt pan?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Angela, you might need to, I suggest dividing the ingredients by ten then multiplying by twelve and hoping your wonderful math skills make the perfect amount for your 12 cup pan! Best of luck 🙂