Simple Olive Oil Cake
There’s something about an olive oil cake that feels a little special without actually being complicated. It’s tender, lightly sweet, and has just enough richness from the olive oil to make it feel like a dessert worth serving to guests.
I love this one for entertaining because you can make it ahead of time and forget about it until it’s time for dessert. Serve it simply with a dusting of powdered sugar, or add fresh berries and a little whipped cream if you want to dress it up.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For serving:
Powdered sugar
Fresh berries, optional
Whipped cream, optional
Instructions
1. Prepare the oven.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Mix the wet ingredients.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until smooth and slightly lighter in color. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, followed by the milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
4. Combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently stir just until everything is combined. Don't overmix.
5. Bake.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
7. Serve.
Dust generously with powdered sugar just before serving. Add fresh berries and whipped cream if you'd like.
A Little Salt & Linen Note
This is exactly the kind of dessert I love serving when I'm having people over. It doesn't require a lot of decorating or last-minute work, and honestly, I think desserts are better when you can sit down and enjoy them with everyone else.
Make it earlier in the day, set it on the table, dust it with powdered sugar, and call it good.
Serves: 8–10
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 35–40 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour
