Citrus and olive oil go hand-in-hand in this bright, delightful lemon olive oil cake. Vibrant lemon and lime zest and a sprinkle of toasted coconut add instant flavor and texture to each bite.
We all know how much I love a good layer cake. Hey, I even wrote a whole book about them! But sometimes even I can admit that they can be a bit fussy. For the days when you still want velvety cake but without the hassle, make a bundt cake!
For those of you who don’t make layer cakes with the same frequency as I do, baking a cake, preparing a filling, and making a frosting (plus assembly) might be a bit much when you are just looking to satisfy a Tuesday afternoon cake craving.
A bundt or pound cake however, now that’s something suitable for afternoon snacking and even breakfast. Who doesn’t love breakfast cake?
This lemon olive oil cake is my go-to for a more carefree, everyday sweet. The kind of treat that you bake on Sunday or a casual afternoon and it stays moist all week. The kind of treat that sits under a cake-keeper on the counter, just waiting for drive-by slices, afternoon tea pairings, or whenever a sweet-tooth needs satisfying.
Not only does a cake like this eliminate the need to filling and frosting (with the exception of this glaze that takes literally 60-seconds to prepare), the mixing process is also fuss-free! No mixer needed. No creaming-of-the-butter necessary.
Instead of the fussy creaming process necessary to make a butter cake, this cake comes together rather quickly. Using olive oil, the cake mixes together super easy, while staying moist and flavourful.
I know I’ve been boasting about “simple” and “fuss-free” over here, but I promise you that this glaze still falls into those categories. Instead of a heavy buttercream, this cream cheese glaze mixes together in seconds and is the perfect pair for the lemon olive oil cake. Top is all off with toasted coconut, fresh citrus zest, or whatever you’d like.
Recipe
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
Citrus Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon or lime zest
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoon coconut milk or whole milk
Instructions
Citrus Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, stir together the milk, oil, and melted butter. Whisk in the eggs.
- Stir in the citrus juice and zest until combined.
- In two to three additions, add in the dry ingredients to the wet. Stir to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool on a wire rack until the pan is cool enough to handle (about 20 minutes).
- Place a cutting board or large platter on top of the pan and carefully invert the cake right-side up.
- Continue to cool before serving.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the cream cheese and butter with a wooden spoon until well combined.
- Gradually stir in the confectioner’s sugar until incorporated.
- Add in the vanilla and milk. Stir until smooth. Glaze should be rather thick but still fluid. Add more milk as needed.
Coco Cake
Mmmmm! I imagine because of the oil content it makes it easier for the bundt to release? This is such a beautiful cake, Tessa! Fragrant citrus is always the way to go! I didn't actually realize there were blended oils - I learned something! ^__^
Tessa Huff
The oil definitely helps! Although I use a ton of cooking spray and flour to make sure =) It's not the healthiest cake with all that oil, but it will stay moist for dayzzzz (if I don't eat it sooner than that), hehe.
Jackie Cooper
Hi Tessa
Can this cake be made with orange juice and zest. I don't know if it would go with the coconut topping.