This lemon olive oil cake has a sticky lemon topping, it’s soft, fluffy, and tender. The upside down lemon topping is sticky, gooey, and adds so much tangy lemon flavor - without being bitter! It tastes like zesty lemon with a subtle olive oil flavor. The olive oil creates a really tender and moist crumb, the flavors just work so well together!
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🍋 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Easy: The one bowl batter is so quick and easy to put together, and you don't need an electric mixer.
- Upside down cake: The lemons at the bottom get candied and sticky in the butter and sugar mixture, creating the perfect tangy topping.
- Olive oil: The earthiness of the olive oil and bright tangy lemon citrus flavors complement each other so well.
- Lemon: There's lots of lemon flavor in the topping and cake! It's bright, zesty, citrusy, and tangy.
Check out these lemon curd cookies and these tangy lemon brownies for more easy recipes that are packed full of lemon flavor.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
- Olive oil: Gives the cake a soft moist texture and a subtle olive oil flavor which pairs so perfectly with lemon! Use a light olive oil for a lighter flavor or a good quality extra virgin olive oil for more flavor (what I did).
- Lemons: You will need 2 to 3 lemons for the topping, and about 2 lemons for the batter. Both lemon juice and zest get added into the cake batter for lots of lemon flavor.
- Greek yogurt: This adds extra tang and moisture to the cake. If you can't find Greek yogurt, hang up half a cup of some regular yogurt in a cheesecloth in the fridge to drain excess water. Once it gets thick and creamy, measure, and use.
- All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
👩🍳 How to make lemon olive oil cake
Lemon topping step by step
Prep: Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Line the bottom of an 8” square baking pan with a square of parchment paper. Make sure that the baking pan you’re using doesn’t have a removable bottom.
Step 1: Prepare a clean and dry cutting board and a sharp knife. Cut the ends off a lemon. Stand the lemon up on its end and cut the rind off in a square, forming a rectangular log.
Step 2: Lay the log down on its side and cut into thin slices using a sawing motion, removing any seeds as you go.
Repeat with the rest of the lemons. You will need 2 to 3 lemons depending on the size of the lemons. Save the excess pieces of lemon to make lemon tea or lemonade.
Step 3: Place butter inside the parchment lined pan and put it into the preheating oven to melt down for a minute. As soon as it’s melted, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle sugar in an even layer on top of the butter.
Step 4: Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the pan, keeping the slices as close to each other as possible. Set aside while you work on the cake batter.
Tip: I cut the rinds off so the topping isn't bitter. If you are ok with a bitter topping, you can leave the rinds on the lemons. It's ok if there's a bit of white rind in the corners, it doesn't come out bitter - see above photo for reference.
Cake batter step by step
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine lemon zest and sugar. Rub it together with your fingers until fragrant and the sugar looks like wet sand.
Step 2: Add eggs into the lemon sugar and whisk with a wire whisk until it starts to get frothy, about 45 seconds.
Step 3: Add olive oil, lemon juice, vanilla, yogurt, and salt into the egg mixture. Whisk to combine.
Step 4: Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a whisk until no more dry streaks of flour remain.
Step 5: Pour the batter on top of the baking pan with the lemon slices in the bottom.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. It’s ready when the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached.
Don't open the oven during baking, only check on it at the very end when it's almost done baking to poke with a toothpick. Opening too early can cause it to sink in the center.
Step 6: Remove the cake from the baking pan and let cool for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, place your serving cake on top of the baking pan, flip the whole thing over, tap or wiggle the cake if needed until you feel it drop, and remove the baking pan to reveal the lemon slices. Peel off the parchment paper and slice and serve at room temperature.
✔️ Expert cake tips
- Having all your ingredients at room temperature makes them easier to incorporate and creates a more even crumb.
- Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
- Don't overmix the batter when adding the flour. Stop mixing as soon as no more dry streaks remain and it's mostly smooth. It's ok if there are a few lumps left.
- Don't open the oven during baking, only check on it at the very end when it's almost done baking to poke with a toothpick. Opening too early can cause it to sink in the center.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
This cake tastes great on the day its made and stores well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or store in an airtight container or bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To make it taste like it was just baked, reheat gently in the oven or microwave! This will soften the starch and make it extra soft and fluffy.
✔️ Why you should cut off the lemon rinds
I tried making this cake without cutting the rinds off the lemons, and the topping was so bitter. That's because the white parts of the rind - the pith - is very bitter. So I trimmed the rind off and it took all the bitterness away, leaving a tangy, bright, and sticky topping.
If you don't mind bitterness, you can leave the rind on. Make sure to slice the lemons really thin and you can overlap them slightly to get good coverage in the bottom of the pan.
Don't waste the lemon rinds you cut off! Throw them in a pitcher, add sugar, and mash the lemon rinds to release the flavor and juice that's left on them. Add ice, water, and mint (optional) and you have an easy homemade lemonade to serve with the cake. Or make lemon honey tea!
This lemon butter cake and these lemon shortbread cookies also have tons of lemon flavor and use both lemon juice and lemon zest.
❔ What olive oil is best to use?
This depends on your taste. I used a high quality extra virgin olive oil because I wanted to taste the grassiness of the olive oil. It doesn't overwhelm the cake and the bright citrus lemon flavor cuts through the richness of the olive oil.
If you want a milder flavor of olive oil, use light olive oil. You can even substitute with vegetable oil or any other oil you prefer - like grapeseed oil.
📖 Recipe FAQs
I haven't tried it but you can experiment with limes and oranges. If you do try it, let us know in the comments!
Any oil will work great in this recipe! If you use coconut oil, the cake will be a little more dry and more firm at room temperature.
I haven't tried it but it should work. Substitute all purpose flour with 1:1 gluten free flour. If you try it, let us know in the comments!
🍋 More related recipes
Did you make this recipe? I would love for you to rate this recipe and hear what you think in the comments below! Share your creation on Instagram and tag @flouringkitchen. Follow me on Pinterest to save and for more recipe ideas.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Equipment
- whisk
Ingredients
Lemon Bottom
- 2-3 lemons whole
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Cake Batter
- 2 lemons zested
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup olive oil see notes
- ¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup greek yogurt
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour 240g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
Lemon Bottom
- Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Line the bottom of an 8” square baking pan with a square of parchment paper. Make sure that the baking pan you’re using doesn’t have a removable bottom.
- Prepare a clean and dry cutting board and a sharp knife. Cut the ends off a lemon. Stand the lemon up on its end and cut the rind off in a square, forming a rectangular log. Lay the log down on its side and cut into thin slices using a sawing motion, removing any seeds as you go.2-3 lemons
- Repeat with the rest of the lemons. You will need 2 to 3 lemons depending on the size of the lemons. Save the excess pieces of lemon to make lemon tea or lemonade.
- Place butter inside the parchment lined pan and put it into the preheating oven to melt down for a minute. As soon as it’s melted, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle sugar in an even layer on top of the butter.3 tablespoons butter, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the pan, keeping the slices as close to each other as possible. Set aside while you work on the cake batter.
Cake Batter
- In a large bowl, combine lemon zest and sugar. Rub it together with your fingers until fragrant and the sugar looks like wet sand.¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 lemons
- Add eggs into the lemon sugar and whisk with a wire whisk until it starts to get frothy, about 45 seconds.3 large eggs
- Add olive oil, lemon juice, vanilla, greek yogurt, and salt into the egg mixture. Whisk to combine.½ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ cup greek yogurt
- Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a whisk until no more dry streaks of flour remain.2 cups all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Pour the batter on top of the baking pan with the lemon slices in the bottom.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. It’s ready when the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached.
- Remove the cake from the baking pan and let cool for 10 minutes. Place your serving cake on top of the baking pan, flip the whole thing over, tap or wiggle the cake if needed until you feel it drop, and remove the baking pan to reveal the lemon slices. Peel off the parchment paper and slice and serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Having all your ingredients at room temperature makes them easier to incorporate and creates a more even crumb.
- Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
- Don't overmix the batter when adding the flour. Stop mixing as soon as no more dry streaks remain and it's mostly smooth. It's ok if there are a few lumps left.
- Don't open the oven during baking, only check on it at the very end when it's almost done baking to poke with a toothpick. Opening too early can cause it to sink in the center.
Kieu
I made this and the lemon slice top made the cake very bitter. I did exactly as the recipe said and cut off all the rind and there was just a little bit of white left (as shown in the recipe) and it was still very bitter. I ended up just cutting off the top of the cake and making lemon cream cheese icing to top off the cake.
This was my first time making olive oil cake and I think I am not a fan of the olive oil flavor but really do like the texture. I'll try again with avocado oil.
Yasmin
I made this with lemons the first time and it was spectacular! The lemon layer at the top was just so dreamy! I just remade it again with oranges and I’m so excited!!!!
Angel
I made this with oranges since that was all I had and it was fabulous! I found this recipe on tik tok and I have read through your recipes and can't wait to make more. Thank you for sharing this with us!