The name gives it away, but it’s true: Mina Stone’s olive oil cake is super fragrant with lemon, extremely moist thanks to extra-virgin olive oil, and the interior is as yellow as the sun. This recipe comes (fittingly) from her new cookbook, Lemon, Love & Olive Oil, which revisits dishes throughout Stone’s life, especially ones she learned from her Greek grandmother. “The most important thing I’ve learned from the women in my family is to cook with love, abandon, and an absence of fear,” writes Stone. Traditionally, Greek olive oil cake uses orange juice and zest, but on a day she ran out of oranges, Stone substituted in lemons and the rest is history. Or, er, this recipe.
Head this way for more of our best lemon desserts →
All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
9" Springform Pan
$17 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$18 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
10–12 servings
Ingredients
1½
3
1¼
1¼
2
2
1
½
½
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly oil pan with a pastry brush. Line bottom with a parchment paper round and brush parchment with oil. Whisk eggs, 1½ cups oil, and 1¼ cups sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Add milk, vanilla, and zest and juice of 2 lemons and whisk to combine.
Step 2
Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl to combine. Make a well in the center and gradually pour egg mixture into well. Whisk, using circular motions to slowly incorporate egg mixture, until batter is mostly smooth (some lumps are okay). Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar over.
Step 3
Bake cake until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool before unmolding.
Step 4
Just before serving, dust cake with powdered sugar and top with more lemon zest if you have it.
Do Ahead: Cake can be baked 3 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.
Buy it on Amazon or Bookshop.org
Leave a Review
Reviews (168)
Back to TopHow much Lemon Juice ?
Rick W
Palm Springs
10/8/2021
any thoughts for using some whole wheat flour?
Susan
Rockport, Maine
10/8/2021
Used whole wheat flour, a 1/4 c less sugar, and two huge lemons, my batter was very thin, but i liked the cake. will try it again.
Anonymous
10/8/2021
To Rick W.: "Zest and juice of 2 lemons".
John M.
Colorado
10/8/2021
The "zest and juice of 2 lemons" is rather meaningless. A lemon can have anywhere between 2T and 6T of juice depending on the size and age of the lemon. May we please have specific amounts? This looks like an interesting recipe but I am unlikely to make it without clarification.
Anonymous
10/8/2021
The zest and juice of two lemons is quite clear! Good cooks do not measure everything exactly but taste, when possible and/or use culinary intuition! Cooking is an art, not just chemistry.
Anonymous
Washington, DC
10/8/2021
Gotta say, @anonymous, unlike cooking, baking is usually a pretty exact “art”, and even minuscule adjustments (by an uninformed baker) of certain ingredients can wildly affect the outcome.
Anonymous
Martine
10/9/2021