2 slices of lemon cake on plate with gold fork

Perfectly moist, subtly sweet, lemony olive oil cake. The absolute best gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free treat!

This is seriously one of my new favorite recipes! I honestly could not get enough- I made a second batch as soon as we finished the first LOL.

It’s so perfect with your morning coffee or tea, or as an after dinner treat.

The texture and flavor are spot on. The olive oil adds the perfect moistness- you really can’t taste the olive oil flavor! If you’ve never tried olive oil in baked goods- just trust me! I use it in these epic chocolate chip cookies, one of the top recipes on the site.

2 slices of lemon cake on plate

I swear I could eat this every day. I mean look at that texture?! This reminds me of something my Italian Grandma or aunts would make. It’s simple and delicious; I absolutely love anything lemon!

2 slices of lemon cake on plate with cake in pie dish

It’s a nice change of pace from chocolatey desserts. It’s light and fresh, and just the right amount of sweet.

For the powdered sugar topping, I like to use a monk fruit powdered sugar. But you can of course use regular if that’s what you have!

As for the flour, I have only tested this with gluten free all purpose flour. I can’t say what results you’ll get with substitutions, but you can always experiment!

Depending on what milk variety you use, this cake can also be completely nut free. I feel like most gluten free desserts these days have nuts in them, so I love making some that are completely allergy friendly. Such a win for parties or family gatherings where there is a nut allergy!

lemon olive oil cake in pie dish with slice missing

I can’t wait for you all to dive into this deliciously moist lemon olive oil cake. I know you will fall in love with it like I did!

Be sure to let me know below what you think 🙂 Enjoy!

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Lemon Olive Oil Cake (gluten free, dairy free)

  • Author: Mia Zarlengo
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 servings
  • Category: Dessert

Description

Gluten free and dairy free super moist lemon olive oil cake. Refined sugar free, nut free, and simple, too! 


Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs⠀
  • 2/3 cup pure maple syrup⠀
  • 1/2 cup milk of choice⠀
  • 1/2 cup olive oil ⠀
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice⠀
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract⠀
  • 1 + 1/2 tbsp lemon zest*⠀
  • 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend contains it)⠀
  • 1 tsp baking powder⠀
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt⠀
  • Powdered sugar for topping (monkfruit or regular)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8 or 9” pie dish with parchment paper (or grease it, but will be easier to remove later to cool with parchment). ⠀
  2. Whisk the eggs, maple syrup, almond milk, olive oil, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla until smooth. ⠀
  3. Whisk in the dry ingredients until almost no lumps remain (try not to over mix it). ⠀
  4. Pour batter into pie dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top domes and a toothpick comes out clean (bake time varies by oven and depending what size baking dish you use!)⠀
  5. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before carefully removing to cool completely on a cooling rack. ⠀
  6. Once cooled, sprinkle the top with powdered sugar and serve!

Notes

*Be sure not to skip the zest! It adds most of the lemony flavor. 

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Gluten Free, Recipes, Vegetarian

Category:

Aug 5, 2020

Lemon Olive Oil Cake (gluten free, dairy free)

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to tag @gatherednutrition on INstagram so I can see what you made! Leaving a rating and review on the site is a huge help too!

  1. Amy Kolavo says:

    The texture is perfect! I used oat milk and added a little more fresh lemon juice because I love lemon! Turned out so amazing!

  2. Claudia says:

    This cake is so amazing! My family loved it. Super dense and moist. I could eat the whole thing in one day it’s so good!

  3. Shelby says:

    Never made something like this before! Really dense and still moist after a few days, loved it.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Nice taste, but after a whole hour in the oven, it was still undercooked in the middle. Besides that, it was decent.

  5. Allie says:

    Love this cake! Very moist and delicious! Almond milk used and it was perfect

  6. Mimi says:

    This was so moist and delicious! The whole family enjoyed. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe 🙂

  7. Savy says:

    This cake is delicious, I love it with an iced match!

  8. Carly says:

    This cake was delicious! Such a good texture and super easy to make. I used regular all purpose flour and it turned out great!

  9. Cher says:

    This cake is amazing. Not overly sweet and bright with the lemon. As far as dairy free gluten free it might be the best dessert. Might top with some macerated strawberries next time but it’s also incredible as a stand alone!

  10. Meg G says:

    Love this recipe! I added a bit more lemon zest!

  11. Mariah says:

    This cake was a success! Even my super sweet tooth family members enjoyed it. Thank you Mia for this incredible recipe 🙂

  12. Korah says:

    I loved this recipe!! I also made a glaze to top it with lemon juice, almond milk, and powdered sugar 🙂

  13. Kayla McGuinness says:

    The only substitute I made was flax eggs for eggs, typically doesn’t mess a recipe up. The cake is very dense and almost has a gelatin texture to it. Any idea what could have gone wrong?

  14. Marie says:

    Hey Mia! Could I substitute maple syrup for howny?

  15. Meg says:

    Hi! Just baked this and it looks awesome. Do you have any storing suggestions? I made it just for me 🙂

    • Mia Zarlengo says:

      You can slice and freeze some! Otherwise, it can be stores in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days!

  16. Linda says:

    Could this be bakedina lined cake pan?
    Linda

    • Mia Swinehart says:

      Hi Linda,

      That should work! Depending on the size of your pan, you’ll just want to keep an eye out to make sure it doesn’t over or under bake!

  17. kat says:

    I’m making this for christmas and I can’t wait to eat it! I’m changing up the vibe and doing it with almond extract instead – can’t wait to try 💕

  18. Annmarie says:

    Hi there!

    Can I use GF measure to measure flour ?

  19. Eva says:

    Can I use a blend of oat/almond flour to make this recipe? Don’t have gf flour at hand but this looks delicious, want to make it!

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Simple. Attainable. Gathered Nutrition.