Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups (280g) cake or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (250g) sugar
- 1 cup (250ml) mild extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- Lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350°F/180°C.
- Butter or spray a 10 cup (26cm) bundt cake pan and dust with fine dry breadcrumbs or flour, shaking off excess. Refrigerate the pan while making the batter.Â
- In a large bowl (or bowl of the stand mixer) start beating eggs and add sugar gradually. Beat for 3-4 minutes, until foamy and light.
- Add the oil in a thin stream while you keep beating. It will thicken and be satiny.Â
- Add the lemon zest and vanilla. Mix.
- Add sifted dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) in 2 parts and mix until combined but don’t overmix. I sift dry ingredients directly over batter, but you can do it separately.
- Pour into the prepared cake pan (that's cold because you just took it out from the refrigerator) and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Ovens and pans are different and this is a large cake, so it might take longer. You can turn the oven to 325°F/170°C if you feel it needs to bake longer.Â
- Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes and carefully remove from pan. Let cool completely before pouring the glaze.Â
For glaze:
- Mix sugar and juice until creamy and lump-free. It should have the consistency of thick honey.
- Pour over cooled cake and let drip down the sides.
Notes
Organization: always read the whole recipe first and have ingredients measured and cake pan ready before you start.
Flavor: I use lemon zest but you can add some pure lemon extract to intensify it, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon.
Olive oil: using it instead of butter gives this cake a fabulous moist crumb and a rich flavor that complements perfectly with the citrus. Use a mild extra virgin olive oil for the best results.
Add-ins:Â you can add a handful of chopped walnuts to the batter or use limes together with the lemon.Â
Pan size:Â you can make 1 bundt cake, 10 to 12 mini bundts, or 2 medium loaf cakes. For the last two the baking time will be less, between 35-45 minutes, so be vigilant with it.Â
Storing: you can keep the baked cake at room temperature for 2 days, in the fridge for a week, well wrapped to avoid dryness, or in the freezer for a month. If you're making it ahead, I recommend freezing it without the glaze, unless you're storing leftovers.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10
- Calories: 489
- Sugar: 42.9 g
- Sodium: 153.9 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Carbohydrates: 63.1 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Cholesterol: 93 mg