Here’s what I think: cake is delicious. One cake that I absolutely love is this lemony olive oil cake. If you’ve never had one before, olive oil cake is something truly unique. It’s light, citrusy, and has a subtle nod of fruity olive oil flavor. I like this as a spring/summer cake because it is so light and bright. I know it can be hard to imagine…the idea of an olive oil-flavored cake, but I assure you, this is a cake that will pique your tastebuds’ interest.

Olive oil and lemon are a great combination when it comes to salad dressings and cakes. The two work together in a similar way here to create this elusive flavor that compels you to take another bite so you can find out just what kind of magic you’re eating. I make sure to sift my dry ingredients to lighten the texture of the cake; it’s the little things that can make a big difference.

Onto the rest of the ingredients and a must-have here is the lemon zest. Zest adds a potent lemony essence into the cake, adding a nice citrus zip mixed in with the sugar. And you can’t really have a lemon flavor without fresh lemon juice, so those lemons I’ve zested will be juiced into the cake.

The batter is a beautiful pale color that’s flecked with lemon zest and smells absolutely amazing. My cake disappears into the oven where it becomes a beautiful golden brown and fills my kitchen with the irresistible smell of lemon olive oil cake. I like to top mine with a bit of powdered sugar, totally optional, but you’ll want to make sure the cake is fully cooled before you dust it with sugar. This is a cake that tastes even better the next day! Bright, and almost sweetly savory, a lemony olive oil cake is an absolute delight.