This lemon olive oil cake is so tender and soft. It only needs 4 ingredients and doesn’t require any eggs or dairy. The cake is an easy one bowl recipe, no mixer needed.
A slice of lemon cake on a white plate with a fork

This easy lemon cake has a bright lemon flavor and the olive oil gives the cake such a tender, moist and soft crumb. I love how easy it is to prepare.

Ingredients

  • Self-rising flour
  • Lemonade
  • Sugar
  • Olive oil

Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is a flour blend that already has a leavening agent and salt added to it. It saves a few extra preparation steps, so I like to use it whenever possible. You can also make a homemade self-rising flour blend with all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.

Lemonade: Lemonade provides a nice lemon flavor for this cake and saves you the time and effort of squeezing fresh lemon juice and zesting lemons.

Sugar: Regular granular white sugar is used to sweeten the cake and add moisture.

Olive oil: Olive oil gives this cake a very soft and tender crumb.

How to Make Lemon Olive Oil Cake

  • The flour and sugar are whisked together.
  • The lemonade and olive oil are then added in. Whisk until you have a smooth batter.Cake batter in a bowl and then poured in a cake pan
  • Transfer the batter to your prepared cake pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until done.
  • If desired, you can dust the cake with powdered sugar or add a frosting on top.

A lemon cake decorated with frosting and fresh lemon slices
A bite taken from a slice of lemon cake

Expert Tips

  • You want to use regular lemonade for this recipe. You don’t want to use a carbonated one or a low sugar one.
  • You can also make the cake with fresh lemon juice, water and sugar in place of the lemonade if you don’t have lemonade on hand.
  • Use a good quality olive oil for the cake as you do taste the olive oil in the cake.
  • I like serving this cake with a simple dusting of powdered sugar. However, if you want to make it a little fancier, you can add a frosting. The cake in the photos is covered in a buttercream frosting.

A slice of lemon cake with buttercream frosting

More Lemon Recipes

5 from 2 votes

4 Ingredient Lemon Cake

Bright, lemony, and super simple—this cake is all about bold flavor and minimal effort. Made in one bowl with just four ingredients, it bakes up soft and golden with a hint of richness from good olive oil.
Servings: 12 slices
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups (240g) self-rising flour, see note before starting
  • 3/4 cup (151g) granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup (8 fl oz/237 ml) lemonade
  • 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/59 ml) olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 7-inch round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom with a parchment paper round.
  • Add flour and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until evenly combined. Then perform a quick sift of your mixture by running your whisk rapidly back and forth through the flour until there are no visible lumps of flour. The goal is just to do a quick sift to break up any clumps so that you can easily mix the batter without overmixing it.
  • Add in lemonade and oil. Whisk until your batter is smooth and no flour lumps remain.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth it evenly across.
  • Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the cake is done. When the cake is done, it should be lightly golden on the surface and a toothpick inserted should also come out clean.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan before releasing it from the pan. If desired, you can dust the cake with powdered sugar or add frosting before serving. Store any uneaten cake in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • Self-rising flour note: There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30g) serving). The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with Gold Medal self-rising flour* (regular amount of protein). Please use a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup), or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
  • Homemade self-rising flour: Whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill, which will not work well for this recipe. Measure out 1 3/4 cups for the recipe. Do not use the full amount.
  • Lemonade note: I used Amazon Fresh lemonade.* I don't recommend using low-sugar lemonade as your cake may not be sweet enough. Also avoid using a carbonated lemonade.
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Optional Cream Cheese Frosting (contains dairy) 
    • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • 8 oz cream cheese (brick type), softened to room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • To make the frosting: Add butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy and light. Add vanilla extract and mix in on low speed. Gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar on low speed until completely combined. Add enough powdered sugar for a thick frosting that is still spreadable over the cake. Start with 3 cups and add more if needed. This recipe makes a generous amount of frosting. You likely won't need it all but I wanted to include enough for those who prefer a very thick layer of frosting.
  • Estimated nutrition is for the cake only and does not include optional frosting.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 153kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 205mg, Sugar: 14g, NET CARBS: 27
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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