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    Home » All Desserts » Cakes

    Published: Oct 9, 2021 · Modified: May 4, 2022 by Anthea

    Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Cake

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    4.74 from 19 votes

    Easy vegan lemon olive oil cake using only 6 key ingredients and 1 bowl. This cake is fluffy, tender and light and perfect for Spring!

    I love light and zesty cakes like these which aren't too sweet (but sweet enough to be called dessert). This cake has a similar flavor profile to my vegan lemon poppy seed muffins, whole lemon cake and lemon drizzle cake.

    Lemon olive oil cake with a thin icing, blueberries and strawberries on top. Cake is on a plate amongst a few colourful items.

    Key ingredients you'll need

    Like the majority of my recipes, this vegan lemon cake uses only common ingredients including:

    Flatlay of ingredients for vegan lemon olive oil cake.

    Ingredient notes

    Extra Virgin Olive Oil adds moisture and flavor. Some types of olive oils are sweet while others are a little peppery so your cake will adopt the flavor of your particular oil.

    Lemon juice and zest and lots of it for extra zing! Lemon juice is acidic so reacts with the dairy-free milk to make buttermilk which makes a cake more tender :). I used fresh lemon juice but bottled will also work.

    A complete list of ingredients, quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    How to prepare the batter

    Like the majority of my cakes, you'll only need 1 mixing bowl to make this lemon olive oil cake! I loathe doing dishes so the less bowls/equipment, the better :).

    Simply add all the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined. Add all the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. The final batter should be a little runny without any lumps of flour or streaks of wet ingredients.

    Pour the cake batter into an 8-inch (20 cm) lined loaf pan and bake it in your preheated oven. So so easy! Your house will smell wonderful when the cake is ready to remove of the oven.

    Four image collage of lemon cake batter in bowl including pouring the olive oil in the cake batter.

    How to decorate this cake

    This vegan lemon loaf is lovely with a simple powdered sugar icing which is made from only 2 ingredients. It sets at room temperature and doesn't collapse at room temperature for long periods of time (like buttercream does).

    Alternatively, you can skip the icing and enjoy the vegan lemon cake plain, with berries or a light dusting of powdered sugar. This makes the cake a little less sweet!

    Side image of lemon cake showing icing dripping down the sides.

    Customising this cake

    Can I reduce the amount of sugar in this vegan lemon olive oil cake?

    For a less sweet cake, I'd recommend enjoying the cake without the icing (or with some powdered sugar on top).

    The sugar can be slightly reduced to 1 cup (200g) in this recipe. However, I wouldn't strongly recommend it because the sugar adds moisture and balances out the sour lemon flavour and slight bitterness from the zest.

    Can I make this cake refined sugar free and use coconut sugar or another sweetener?

    You can use coconut sugar in this vegan lemon loaf but it changes the flavour profile. Imagine eating a lemony caramel cake! I haven't tested this cake with alternatives such as monk fruit sweetener or erythritol.

    I don't ever recommend baking vegan sponge cakes using a liquid sweetener. This will make a cake too heavy and dense.

    Front image of lemon cake showing fluffy texture.
    Can I make this vegan lemon olive oil cake gluten-free?

    Yes, check out the notes in the grey recipe box at the bottom of this post

    Do I have to use lemon zest in this cake ?

    No, you don't haaavvvee to! The lemon zest adds a complexity of flavor and an extra lemon punch. For a more mild lemon flavour, omit the zest.

    Can I add blueberries to this cake?

    Yes, but I'd recommend using my lemon blueberry cake recipe. The recipe is similar to this olive oil cake but the batter is thicker so the blueberries don't sink!

    Single slice of lemon loaf showing golden fluffy texture.

    More vegan citrus desserts

    • Easy Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake
    • Vegan Whole Orange Cake
    • Vegan Lemon Tart
    • Vegan Lemon Cheesecake (no bake)

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    Print Recipe
    4.74 from 19 votes

    Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Cake

    Easy vegan lemon olive oil cake made with only 6 key ingredients using 1 bowl. This cake is fluffy, tender and light and perfect for Spring!
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time1 hr
    Total Time1 hr 15 mins
    Cuisine: American, Italian-inspired, Vegan
    Servings: 10
    Author: Anthea

    Ingredients

    Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Cake

    • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose plain flour, (note 1 for gluten free)
    • 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
    • 3 teaspoons baking powder
    • Pinch of any good quality salt, optional
    • 1 cup (250g) dairy-free milk
    • ½ cup (125g) extra virgin olive oil
    • ⅓ cup (80g) lemon juice and zest, (about 2-3 lemons)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

    To decorate (optional, see note 2 for alternatives)

    • 1 ½ cups (150g) powdered sugar / icing sugar
    • 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 cup (150g) fresh berries

    Instructions

    To make the cake:

    • Preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F).
    • Add all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) to a bowl. Mix until there are no lumps. Add all the wet ingredients (milk, oil, lemon juice/zest and vanilla) and mix until smooth. Pour into an 8 inch (20 cm) lined loaf tin.
    • Bake the cake for 1 hour or until you can poke a skewer in the middle and there's no wet batter on it. As this is a moist cake, some crumbs on your skewer are fine.
    • Allow the cake to cool in the loaf tin for 10 minutes then cool on a wire rack.

    To make the icing:

    • Add the lemon juice and sugar to a medium bowl and mix until smooth. Add more lemon juice (or dairy free milk) for a thinner icing or more powdered sugar for a thicker icing.
    • Drizzle the icing over your cooled cake. If desired, top the cake with berries just before serving.
    • Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for up to 3 days. The cake can be stored without the icing in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    Notes

    1. To make this vegan lemon cake gluten free, substitute the plain flour for 1 ⅔ cups (165g) almond flour / blanched almond meal and 1 cup (160g) gluten free all-purpose flour.
    2. Alternatively, you can enjoy the cake plain, topped with fresh berries or a light dusting of powdered / icing sugar.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serve without icing | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you Make this Recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @rainbownourishments on Instagram and hashtag #rainbownourishments!

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jennifer says

      May 14, 2022 at 7:45 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is SPOT ON!, no eggs/dairy, and a crumb that is better than any other sweetbread, vegan or not, that I ever had. My mother could not stop eating it. First time making a loaf with Olive Oil too. This recipe was my "if it works, I will buy the cookbook" test. So, I am buying your book!
      I will say, I baked both versions, the gluten free, and standard recipe. I am sorry to say the Gluten Free version of this, was an epic fail! Is it possible I made a mistake, of course, but I am 99.99% sure this is not what happened. I weighed, double checked, pre-heated, recipe to the letter, etc..The gluten free loaf, was in 10 minutes longer than the original version, (I did not bake both loaves in the oven at the same time, and the tester finally appeared to have acceptable moist crumb vs.raw batter). The top could not take anymore browning, so I took it out. The entire cake sunk while cooling, and when I cut into it, it was basically a solid block of oil. My guess is that the almond flour is too moist a flour, and cannot absorb all the oil/milk. I will try again, with just gluten free all purpose, and see how that goes. I am not deterred...and thank you, as the original loaf recipe is just insanely perfect!!!!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        May 15, 2022 at 11:20 am

        Hi Jennifer, I'm so so glad you and your mother enjoyed the regular version of this cake and that it surpassed any other cake you've ever had! What a lovely compliment!

        But I'm so sorry that the gluten-free version didn't work for you! Most gluten-free flours (except coconut flour) are less absorbent than regular flour so that may explain why your loaf ended up being so dense. I wonder if it has to do with the brand of gluten-free flour that you used. I'm not saying that it was a bad brand, at all, but rather that all gluten-free flour blends contain different types of flour which absorb ingredients differently :)! But let me know how you go with just gluten-free all-purpose flour or a 1:1 baking blend. Thank you so much for your feedback, I appreciate it! x

        Reply
    2. Emily says

      April 19, 2022 at 9:58 am

      5 stars
      Made it over Easter, it was easy to make and delicious.
      Thank you so much Anthea for another fabulous recipe 🙂

      Reply
    3. Liz says

      April 19, 2022 at 4:36 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe, really easy and tastes delish. I tweaked the recipe and also made a coconut and lime and a chocolate version.

      Reply
    4. Kathleen says

      April 17, 2022 at 3:35 am

      5 stars
      This is one of my favorite cakes!

      I have made it twice now - once for a friend’s birthday and the second time for a spring dinner party. Both times it received rave reviews.

      My favorite thing about this cake is how moist and lemony it is. It is a showstopper! In making it in the loaf pan I found the cooking time to be quite a bit longer than one hour (for my oven it was more like 1 hour and 15 mins). The second time I made it, I doubled the recipe and made it in two 8 inch cake pans… Baking time was it was a little less than one hour (about 53 mins). Both times it was fantastic! Now I’m going for a third time - making it again for Easter Brunch.

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
    5. Birdie says

      April 14, 2022 at 4:01 pm

      5 stars
      I made this cake for my friend's birthday last weekend and everyone at the party absolutely loved it! At the end of the night, I found one of the girls drunkenly eating the leftovers with her hands because she loved it that much. Will be making it again this weekend to take to my family Easter brunch!

      Reply
    6. Tina says

      February 14, 2022 at 3:40 am

      1 star
      I made this yesterday followed the recipe but it was a disaster, just a heavy stodgy mess I had to throw it away

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 14, 2022 at 8:47 am

        Oh I'm so sorry this cake didn't work out for you! Is it possible that the ingredients were mismeasured, for example if you used the cups measurement? A stodgy cake can also be due to old baking powder or an oven which isn't hot enough. I made the cake a few times with success so would love to figure out what happened with yours.

        Reply
    7. Hannah Garcia says

      December 07, 2021 at 4:24 am

      Hi Anthea, I was wondering if you could make this cake as like an 8inch round?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        December 07, 2021 at 8:59 am

        Hi Hannah, yes you can! It takes a similar amount of time to bake in an 8 inch round tin :).

        Reply
      • Hannah Garcia says

        December 07, 2021 at 1:04 pm

        thank you !!

        Reply
    8. Byron says

      November 26, 2021 at 11:05 am

      5 stars
      Thanks Anthea! I volunteer at a local soup kitchen (which has very limited ingredients), and this has been a perfect recipe. I've now been baking this cakes for our patrons two weeks in a row – it's so easy to make, and everyone loves it. I also toast some coconut shreds and sprinkle on top 🙂

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        December 09, 2021 at 12:54 pm

        Aw that warms my heart that the cake was served at a local soup kitchen! So glad that everyone loves it and the addition of coconut shreds sounds perfect! Thanks Byron 🙂

        Reply
    9. Su-Yi says

      November 25, 2021 at 5:48 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely fragrant cake that came out fluffy and moist. A lot of the recipes I’d checked out called for a lot of oil but Anthea’s got it just right. I also made a little tweak by using 1/2 a cup of sugar as opposed to 1 and 1/2cups, but 1 cup I think would’ve been perf ! Thanks so much again Anthea 🍋

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        December 09, 2021 at 12:53 pm

        So glad you enjoyed this cake Su-Yi! And thanks for your feedback about the oil and sugar too :).

        Reply
    10. Angela says

      November 22, 2021 at 5:41 am

      5 stars
      This cake turned out so well! It reminds me of a pound cake. Your instructions were clear and easy to follow. I love that the flavors are subtle but still detectable. 5 stars--no question.

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        November 22, 2021 at 12:31 pm

        Aw I'm so happy you enjoyed this cake and you found everything helpful. Thanks so much for your feedback, I appreciate it a lot! x

        Reply
    11. Brittany says

      October 13, 2021 at 5:45 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely beautiful! Great balance of Lemon and sweetness. Will definitely be making this cake again. It was lucky Enough to last more than a day haha. It was honestly one of the best lemon cakes I have tasted. 🍋

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        October 25, 2021 at 11:44 am

        Aw, that's the nicest comment, I'm so glad you enjoyed all the flavours in this cake!

        Reply

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    About Anthea

    Hi, I'm Anthea and welcome to Rainbow Nourishments! Here I share wholesome vegan recipes with a twist. Enjoy!

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