Lemon Olive Oil Loaf Cake with Tart Lemon Glaze

Iced Lemon Olive Oil Loaf Cake

This simple lemon loaf cake is exceptionally moist, tender, and flavorful thanks to olive oil, lemon oil, and a generous blanket of tart lemon glaze.

In my version of a perfect world, we would always have a freshly baked cake on hand when someone stopped by unexpectedly or on those afternoons when I’m feeling sluggish and craving something sweet. Nothing fancy. Something like this Lemon Loaf Cake, or perhaps a pound cake, or berry snack cake.

This, of course, rarely happens. But, the idea is honestly not that far out of reach. Loaf cakes are one of those simple things that you can sometimes make on a whim, quickly, for no other reason than to satisfy a craving for cake.

It takes only about 20 minutes to mix up the batter for this lemon loaf cake. It’s sweet, but not overly so. Bright and lemony. Tender and perfectly sliceable. Appropriate to to eat with your fingers or with a plate and fork. 

Not only does the cake come together quickly, it will stays fresh and delicious for days. It’s simpler to make (though perhaps not quite as pretty) as Lemon Ricotta Cakes or Mini Lime Pound Cakes, but no less delicious.

Why I love baking with olive oil

Olive Oil’s fruity flavor is a perfect match for a wide variety of cakes, cookies, and other desserts. But, I particularly like it with anything lemon. Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Cream is one of my all-time favorite desserts and I’ve yet to serve it to anyone who didn’t feel the same. Unlike neutral tasting oils like canola or vegetable oil, olive oil adds a subtle depth of flavor to cakes that makes them more interesting.

In addition, oil based cakes tend to bake up loftier, have a more even crumb, and stay fresh for much longer than butter based recipes. Since oil is lighter than butter, the texture of oil-based cakes is lighter as well. And, because oil is comprised of 100% fat (American butter is 80% fat, 5% milk solids and 15% water), the texture of oil-based cakes are noticeably more soft and tender. 

The most important thing to understand about using oil in cake batter is that it needs to be added slowly. By nature, fat and liquid are unmixable. This presents a problem when making cake batter because nearly every kind of cake includes some kind of liquid and some kind of fat.

The solution is to create an emulsion – a situation in which tiny droplets of a liquid are dispersed in a fat. Certain substances, like egg yolks, act as emulsifiers. This means that when agitated, they help fat and liquid come together and stay together.

Just like in this recipe for Hummingbird Cupcakes, this cake uses eggs to bind oil and sugar together into a smooth, even batter. Beat eggs and sugar tighter until they are light and fluffy. Then, pour the oil oil into the batter very slowly, in a thin steady stream, while the mixer continues to beat. This creates an emulsion, with the eggs and sugar uniformly dispersed within the fat molecules.

Why lemon oil is a great addition to your pantry

Be aware that there are two very different, kinds of lemon oil. One is olive oil that’s been infused with lemon either by including lemon with the olives when they are cold pressed, or by gently heating olive oil with lemon peel to infuse it with lemon flavor. This kind of lemon oil is fantastic in salad dressing, pasta dishes, or simply drizzled over grilled meat or veggies. But, it’s not the kind of lemon oil you want to use in baking.

The kind of lemon oil you want to use in baking is a very strong essence of lemon made by cold pressing lemon rinds. Lemon oil is super concentrated. The brand I like is Boyajian Pure Lemon Oil, which uses 225 lemons in every 3.4 ounce bottle.

For the most part I think lemon oil has a much better flavor than lemon extract. Also, because lemon oil is so concentrated, you only need to use a little bit to achieve a strong lemon flavor. In general, 1/8 teaspoon lemon oil is equal to 1 teaspoon lemon extract, or 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. 

The concentrated, clean flavor of lemon oil is perfect for things like this lemon loaf cake. It would be quite impossible to include enough fresh lemon juice to the batter to properly infuse it with lemon flavor without adding too much liquid. Another way to impart lemon cake with lemon flavor is to add lemon zest. And, this recipe does, in fact, include a tablespoon of lemon zest. However, if we were going to rely entirely on lemon zest for lemon flavor, we’d need 3 or 4 times that amount of zest, which would then start to compromise the cake’s texture.

So, to achieve a tender, fluffy cake with strong lemon flavor, lemon oil is the best option. 

Storing Lemon Olive Oil Loaf Cake

As I mentioned earlier, cakes made with oil stay fresh much longer than cakes made with butter. So, this cake will keep well at room temperature, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days. Stored tightly wrapped the refrigerator, it will keep for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze this cake as a whole or in slices for up to 3 months. To freeze the whole loaf, wrap it in a couple layers of plastic wrap then in a layer or two of aluminum foil. To freeze individual slices, wrap each slice in plastic wrap then stack the slices inside a freezer zip top bag. 

Defrost the cake, or individual slices of cake, in the refrigerator overnight. Or simply set it out, still wrapped, on the countertop for a few hours. 

Other Recipes You Might Like:

• Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Cream
• Coconut Cream Cake
• Lemon Berry Snack Cake
• Lemon Ricotta Olive Oil Loaves
• The BEST Melt-in-Your-Mouth Lemon Bars
• Perfect Pound Cake
• Mini Lime Pound Cakes
• Lemon Blueberry Muffins

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.

Happy baking!

Continue to Content

Lemon Loaf Cake with Tart Lemon Glaze

Yield: 1 loaf cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

This simple lemon loaf cake is exceptionally moist, tender, and flavorful thanks to olive oil, lemon oil, and a generous drizzle of tart lemon glaze.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (use the juice of the lemon for the glaze)
• 1 1/2 - 2 tsp lemon oil (*see note)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup full-fat sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp table salt (1tsp kosher salt)

For the tart lemon glaze:

• 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with a generous amount of non-stick spray. Alternativly, coat the inside of the pan with butter or vegetable shortening.
2. Beat the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar with an elecric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. With the mixer running, slowly pour the olive oil into the egg-sugar mixture in a thin, steady stream. Be sure to add the olive oil very slowly, with the mixer running the entire time.
4. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the lemon zest, lemon oil, vanilla, and sour cream. In a seperate bowl, stir the four, baking powder, and salt with a wire whisk to combine.
5. Add the sour cream and flour mixtures to the batter in alternating additions: 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 the sour cream, 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the sour cream, 1/3 of the flour. After each addition, mix on low just long enough to barely incorporate the ingredients. Do not overmix.
6. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake in the centre of the oven for 53-60 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick insterted in the center comes out without any sign of raw batter.
7. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 - 10 minutes, then gently turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely before glazing.

Make the Lemon Glaze:

1. With a wire whisk, stir the lemon juice and powdered sugar together in a small bowl until the glaze is smooth. Pour over the top of the lemon loaf cake so that it coats the top of the cake completely and drips down the cake's sides.

Notes

Because lemon oil is so concentrated, it gives this cake a pronounced lemon flavor. I usually use 2 tsp lemon oil because I like a strong lemon flavor. If you prefer a more subtle lemon flavor, use 1 1/2 tsp or less. You can also substitute lemon extract and/or lemon zest for the lemon oil. In general, 1/8 teaspoon lemon oil = 1 teaspoon lemon extract = 1 teaspoon zest.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Boyajian Pure Lemon Oil, 3.4 Fluid Ounce
• 
  Cuisinart 9-Inch Chef's Classic Nonstick Bakeware Loaf Pan, Champagne

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1/8 of the cake
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 389Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 327mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 7g