Lemon Olive Oil Snack Cake
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This Lemon Olive Oil Snack Cake is the best not too sweet lemon cake! I use extra virgin olive oil for a simple one bowl cake recipe that you will love!
If you love lemon desserts as much as I do, be sure to check out some of my other favorite lemon desserts like my Rosemary Lemon Ginger Biscotti, Lemon Curd Coconut Thumbprint Cookies, or my Meyer Lemon Muffins!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is my favorite lemon cake I’ve ever made and that’s saying a lot! This Lemon Olive Oil Snack Cake is the perfect not too sweet lemon cake. This is a moist and fluffy lemon cake and it’s topped lemon buttercream and candied lemons.
This not too sweet lemon cake has a larger cake to frosting ratio, which is something I prefer. Growing up, I never liked frosting, I always thought it was too sweet. On the occasions we did get cake, I would trade my brother his cake for my frosting. While I have grown up since then, and I do enjoy frosting, I love that this is a not too sweet lemon cake!
This is an easy one bowl cake, meaning you can make it in one bowl with a wooden spoon, whisk or whatever you have. You can also use your mixer to make this cake as well, it’s super flexible!
Ingredients
Carapelli Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Real Coco Organic Coconut Milk
Organic Lemon
Florida Crystals Organic Powdered Sugar
Frontier Co-Op Organic Lemon Flavor
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Tools Needed
Parchment Paper (use code MIMIBAKES for 10% off Kana, my favorite non toxic parchment paper!)
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
Step 2
To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl with a hand mixer, or whisk), add the olive oil, coconut milk, lemon juice, cane sugar, eggs, and lemon flavor. Mix on low until combined.
Add the cake flour, baking powder, sea salt, and lemon zest in that order. Mix on low until combined. Transfer to the prepared cake pan and spread evenly.
Step 3
Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. (Be sure to check the high altitude conversion at the bottom of the recipe in the Notes section for high altitude baking time!)
Step 4
To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl with a hand mixer, or whisk), add the butter, powdered sugar, coconut milk, and lemon flavor. Mix on low until combined and then speed mixer up to high and mix for 1 minute or until light and fluffy.
Step 5
Remove the cake from the pan and spread the frosting on top. Top with candied lemons (optional).
Baker's Tips
- This is a very simple cake recipe as it is oil based. You can do this in a bowl with a wooden spoon or whisk, with a hand mixer, or even in your stand mixer! It’s that easy.
- Feel free to use a hand mixer for the frosting if you prefer.
- If you don’t have extra virgin olive oil, you can avocado oil or canola oil instead.
- If you prefer to use cow’s milk you can use that in place of coconut milk. Either will work! I just love the lemon flavor paired with coconut milk, but I’ve made this both ways and it is delicious either way!
- If you don’t have cake flour, you can easily make your own with my simple recipe for Homemade Cake Flour. This is what I used in this recipe!
- If you don’t have lemon flavor, you can substitute the coconut milk for fresh lemon juice in the frosting. This will yield a different flavored cake as lemon flavor is a sweet lemon flavor and real lemon juice is fairly tart. If you prefer the tart lemon flavor, then opt for lemon juice!
- I top this with Candied Lemons, but you can also use naturally colored yellow sprinkles or fresh fruit as well. This would be delicious with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries too!
- Make sure to store extra cake in an airtight container so it stays moist and fluffy. A cake dome is the best option for this, but you can also use a Tupperware if you cut up slices or plastic wrap in a pinch (though this is not the best option as it’s not totally airtight and it’s not eco friendly).
FAQ's
Yes, if you prefer to use canola oil or sunflower oil you can also use these. Avocado oil would also work and have a similar flavor to the olive oil.
Yes! If you prefer to use cow's milk that will work, so will almond milk or oat milk. I just love the combination of coconut and lemon together so I used coconut milk in this recipe. This applies to the cake and the frosting, you can use any kind of milk you like.
Yes, there's a simple adjustment for gluten free in the Notes at the bottom of the recipe. I even link the gluten free flour that was tested!
If you have extra Candied Lemons, you can half dip them in chocolate, add on top of cupcakes or even just eat on their own as a sweet treat.
Craving More?
Lemon Olive Oil Snack Cake
Ingredients
Batter
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 326 grams cane sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 390 grams cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 lemon (zest)
Frosting
- 113 grams salted butter (softened)
- 212 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 tablespoon coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon flavor
Topping
- Candied Lemons (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl with a hand mixer, or whisk), add the olive oil, coconut milk, lemon juice, cane sugar, eggs, and lemon flavor. Mix on low until combined.
- Add the cake flour, baking powder, sea salt, and lemon zest in that order. Mix on low until combined. Transfer to the prepared cake pan and spread evenly.
- Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl with a hand mixer, or whisk), add the butter, powdered sugar, coconut milk, and lemon flavor. Mix on low until combined and then speed mixer up to high and mix for 1 minute or until light and fluffy.
- Remove the cake from the pan and spread the frosting on top. Top with candied lemons (optional).
- Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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