Lemon Olive Oil Cake

I love, love, love baking with lemon and other citrus flavors. The sweet-tart taste makes my taste buds sing. This olive oil cake is light and airy and reminds me of warm summer days.

While it looks like a very long list of ingredients, I bet that you have almost all of them in your pantry right now. Trust me, it’s easier to make than it looks!

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 3 eggs, at room temperature 1-1/2 cups sugar 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp. of lemon zest (don’t be afraid to try other citruses like grapefruit or oranges) 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 4 tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 cup buttermilk *don’t buy it! See my note below to easily make your own

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan (you can also use an 8×8 baking dish if you don’t have a springform pan).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the first four ingredients. Set aside.

In a large bowl (or a stand mixer if you have one), beat the eggs and sugar at a high speed using a hand held mixer until the mixture is fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes.

Lower the speed to medium, and add in the olive oil and the lemon zest.

Lower the speed to low. Add half of the flower mixture. Then add the vanilla, lemon juice, and buttermilk. Next add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until blended.

Put the batter into the pan. Bake about an hour and fifteen minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool 20 minutes before removing from the pan.

Serve with whipped cream and berries.

*Want to know how to make your own buttermilk? It’s simple. For every cup of milk you need, add one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to it. Let stand for 5 minutes and you have buttermilk! For this recipe, you will use 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.

P.S. If you love lemon as much as I do, check out my recipe for recipe for 7-Up Cake and Cupcakes – it’s a family favorite!