If you are looking for a delicious vegan dessert, you might want to try vegan olive oil cake with lemon. This cake is moist, fluffy, and full of citrus flavor. It is also easy to make with simple ingredients and no eggs or dairy.

Olive oil cake is a delicious and vegan way to indulge your sweet tooth. It has a moist and tender crumb, a subtle fruity flavor, and a golden crust.
You can enjoy olive oil cake as a snack, breakfast, or after-dinner treat. It goes well with fresh fruits, whipped cream, or ice cream.
It is also a great option for people who are vegan or dairy-free, as you can use plant-based milk.
This vegan lemon loaf is made in less than an hour with just a few simple ingredients, which is always a plus for me!
I recommend serving this cake with homemade lemon icing, but if you want your cake to be a little less sweet, you can omit the icing and dust the cake with a light coating of powdered sugar instead.
Ingredients
Flour - This recipe works best with all-purpose flour, which has a moderate amount of protein and gluten. This gives the dough enough elasticity and structure without making it too tough or dense.
Lemon - I recommend fresh lemon juice instead of bottled juice for the best results.
Powdered sugar - to make the lemon glaze, you need powdered sugar. Did you know it is super easy to make your own powdered sugar at home?
Milk - I like to use coconut or almond milk when I make this olive oil cake, but any non-dairy milk will work.
Olive oil - because olive oil is one of the main flavors, I recommend using a high-quality olive oil. The oil gives the cake an amazing flavor and adds a little extra moisture to the batter.
Baking powder - baking powder adds air to the batter and makes sure you get a nice crummy cake. You can substitute the flour and baking powder for self-rising flour.
Applesauce - To make this recipe completely vegan, you need to add unsweetened applesauce instead of eggs. The applesauce binds the dough and adds some extra moisture.
Vanilla - if you don't have vanilla extract, you can use vanilla sugar or a vanilla pod instead.
How do you make this vegan lemon olive oil cake?
As always, when baking a cake, you start by preheating your oven and mixing the dry and wet ingredients in two separate bowls. You do this to ensure that all the ingredients are properly mixed without overmixing the batter.
Next, you add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until everything is just combined.
Grease a loaf tin and cover the bottom with parchment paper.
Pour the batter into the tin and bake for about 40 minutes until golden. Check if the cake is fully cooked and let it cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before taking it out and letting it cool completely on a cooling rack.
My tips for the perfect olive oil cake
Dont overmix. Over-mixing the batter will give you a dense, rubbery cake.
Low heat. Baking your cake at a low temperature gives your cake time to rise properly and prevents it from forming a dome. That way, you will get a nice flat bottom.
Use parchement paper. This helps to prevent your cake from sticking to the bottom of the pan. You only need to line the bottom of the cake pan.
Buy high-quality ingredients. Because you only need a few ingredients to bake a cake, you want to use the best quality you can afford. This will give you the best results.
Let it cool. I know it is hard, but it is best to let the cake cool completely before cutting.

Frequently asked questions
A rubbery or dry cake is usually the result of over-mixing the batter. Stop mixing when all the ingredients are just combined to prevent the formation of gluten.
Absolutely. You can use any oil to replace the butter, but it will affect the flavor.
Variations
Orange. To make an amazing orange olive oil cake, replace the lemon with orange. For an extra intense orange flavor, add some candied orange peel to the batter!
Nuts. add some almond slices or chopped walnuts to give the cake a nice crunch and add flavor.
Add fresh fruit. fresh fruit like strawberries or blueberries goes perfectly with the tangy flavor of the lemon.
Frozen fruit will work as well.
Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need large mixing bowls, a whisk, a kitchen scale or measuring cups, a 9-inch loaf pan, and a piece of baking paper.
Storage
To keep your vegan lemon olive oil cake moist and fresh, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. It will last for up to 3 days in these conditions.
You can keep it longer in the freezer. Frozen, it stays good for about six months.
A quick and convenient way to thaw a piece of cake from the freezer is to slice the cake before freezing and wrap each slice separately in plastic wrap.
Let the cake thaw completely before serving, and dust it with some powdered sugar.
More easy bakes to try next

Vegan olive oil cake
If you are looking for a delicious vegan dessert, you might want to try vegan olive oil cake with lemon. This cake is moist, fluffy, and full of citrus flavor. It is also easy to make with simple ingredients and no eggs or dairy.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups or 300 gram flour
- 1 cup or 200 gram sugar
- ½ cup or 125 ml extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 cup or 240 ml plant-based milk
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zes
- The juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F or 175 C and line your cake tin with a piece of parchment paper.
- Add all the wet ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until completely combined.
- In another bowl mix the dry ingredients until there are no more lumps.
- Put the dry mixture into the wet and mix until everything is just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake the olive oil cake for about 50 minutes. Check with a toothpick if your cake is done. If the toothpick comes out clean you can take the cake out of the oven.
- Let it cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before you take it out and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Dust with some powdered sugar or add some lemon glaze before cutting.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12Amount Per Serving: Calories: 255Total Fat: 10.3gSaturated Fat: 1.8gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 35mgCarbohydrates: 38.6gFiber: 0.8gSugar: 18.2gProtein: 3.4g
Jess says
My husband just went vegan so I am trying to find more options for him...this is fabulous!
Elizabeth says
I've been cooking more with olive oil for health benefits but haven't tried it in baking yet. Thanks for the great recipe! The lemon flavor is delicious.
Anjali says
This cake was absolutely amazing! It really was super moist and fluffy, and no one could tell it was vegan!
Irena says
Beautiful cake, very fluffy and moist. Has a subtle olive oil taste, which you can tinker with by using different types of olive oil.
Matt says
My wife and I have been slowly incorporating vegan into our lives. This dessert was fantastic and flavorful.
Covita says
THIS is a 5 star cake- Moist and citrusy- Yum. Will make again!
Maayke says
Thank you!
This Is Yu Carole Yu says
This looks delicious. I can’t wait to make it. I love olive oil cakes.
Giangi Townsend says
Amazing cake! Light and rich in flavor. I have been enjoying it in the morning with my coffee.
Thank you.