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Whole sliced gluten-free olive oil cake topped with powdered sugar and lemon slices, displayed on a marble surface.
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Gluten-Free Olive Oil Cake

This gluten-free olive oil cake is one of my go-to desserts when I want something light, bright, and not overly sweet. The lemon zest gives it a fresh, citrusy kick, and the olive oil keeps it incredibly moist and tender. It’s simple enough to whip up on a weeknight but elegant enough for guests—just dust with powdered sugar and you’re done.
Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Cooling Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Baking, Dessert
Keyword: gluten-free olive oil cake
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Ashley Barbey

Equipment

  • 1 x 9" cake pan

Ingredients

  • 1¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1½ tbsp lemon zest
  • 1¾ cups gluten-free flour 1:1 blend. I like Pillsbury Gluten-Free flour blend
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • ¾ cup olive oil good quality
  • ½ cup milk room temp. For dairy-free use coconut milk or almond milk.
  • ¼ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed
  • powdered sugar optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9” pan with parchment paper and spray the pan with baking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, press the lemon zest into the sugar with a fork or rub together with your fingertips to release the oils in the zest. The mixture will be fragrant and damp.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Place a large bowl on a dish towel, to keep it from moving while whisking. Whisk the eggs to break them up.
  • Slowly stream in the olive oil, whisking while streaming until the oil is fully blended into eggs.
  • Whisk in the lemon sugar.
  • Whisk in the lemon juice and milk.
  • Whisk in the flour mixture, until well blended.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35-45, or until a toothpick comes out clean with no crumbs.
  • Cool the cake for 20 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake and turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar, if using.

Notes

  • Make sure eggs and milk are at room temperature to prevent curdling.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg