This Vegan Olive Oil Cake tender, moist and is brushed with a cardamom infused vegan honey that makes it really special. And it's quick and easy to whip together!
Single layer cakes are perfect recipes to have in your back pocket if you are short on time or aren't confident in your cake decorating skills. My Vegan Lemon Bundt Cake or my Vegan Pear Ginger Cake are perfect examples. Just drizzle them with glaze and serve! So simple, delicious and beautiful!
And this Vegan Olive Oil Cake is perhaps the easiest of them all! It requires no decorating, just a couple of garnishes. It's the perfect dessert to serve if you're in a time crunch but want to serve something impressive. Se, let's talk about how to make it.
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What is Olive Oil Cake?
Olive oil cake is a traditional Mediterranean cake that uses olive oil instead of butter. Olives are abundant in the Mediterranean making it a cheap and easily accessible ingredient.
The olive oil give this cake a fruity, rich flavor that is unique and delicious!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is super easy to make, so it's great for beginner bakers.
- It requires basic, easy-to-find ingredients.
- This Olive Oil Cake is vegan, eggless and dairy-free, so anyone can enjoy it.
- It is beautiful, but requires absolutely no cake decorating skills or equipment.
- And most importantly, it's absolutely delicious!
Ingredient Notes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: As my idol Ina Garten would say, be sure to use a good quality olive oil, okay? I recommend Lucini or Graza.
Sugar: regular granulated sugar, here. This cake is a little less sweet than a typical cake, but we will make up for it with the cardamom honey.
Non-Dairy Milk: I used oat milk, but any plain non-dairy milk will work.
Lemon Juice: You wont be able to taste the lemon juice, but it reacts with the baking soda to give the rise an extra boost.
Lemon Zest: You will be able to taste the lemon zest. I use the zest of half a lemon to give this Vegan Olive Oil Cake just a hint of lemon flavor. Feel free to use the zest of the whole lemon if you want a lot of lemon flavor!
Agave Nectar: Use light agave. It should have a honey-like color.
Cardamom Seeds: Use whole cardamom seeds, here, not pods!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. First, make the vegan cardamom honey by combining light agave nectar and cardamom seeds in a small saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat until the mixture simmers.
Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes.
Next, remove from heat and cover the pot and allow the cardamom to steep for 20 minutes.
Step 2. After 20 minutes, add the lemon juice and stir, then strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the cardamom seeds.
Set aside.
Step 3. Now, make the Vegan Olive Oil Cake. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, non-dairy milk, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Step 4. Then, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Whisk just until the batter is formed.
Step 5. Pour the batter into a prepared 8 inch round cake pan and bake in a 350* F oven for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Step 6. Brush the Vegan Olive Oil Cake with about 2 tablespoons of cardamom honey immediately when you remove it from the oven, then allow it to cool.
Then, flip the cake out onto a serving plate and drizzle with 2 more tablespoons of cardamom honey and garnish as desired. I have used strawberries and figs and both are delicious!
Recipe FAQs
Slice the cake and place it in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Olive oil keeps this cake moist and tender and imparts a rich, fruity flavor.
No. I don't recommend refrigerating any cake unless it has buttercream on it.
Expert Recipe Tips
When you add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, whisk just until the batter forms. It's okay if there are some lumps!
Be sure to use an extra virgin olive oil that you like the taste of, because that's where the flavor of this Vegan Olive Oil Cake comes from!
Be sure to insert a parchment circle into the bottom of the cake pan to ensure the cake comes out of the pan easily.
Looking for More Easy Cake Recipes?
If you tried this Vegan Olive Oil Cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Olive Oil Cake with Cardamom "Honey"
Equipment
- 1 8" Round Cake Pan
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Medium Bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Rubber Spatula
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Parchment
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 ¾ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk I used Oat Milk
- ½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil See Note
- 2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- Zest of ½ a lemon
Cardamom Honey
- ½ Cup Light Agave Nectar see note!
- 1 teaspoon Whole Cardamom Seed (not pods)
- ½ teaspoon Lemon Juice
Instructions
First Make the Cardamom Honey
- In a small saucepan over low heat, combine agave and cardamom seeds.½ Cup Light Agave Nectar, 1 teaspoon Whole Cardamom Seed (not pods)
- Bring to a simmer. Then allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and set aside for the cardamom to steep and the mixture to cool for 20 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice and stir.½ teaspoon Lemon Juice
- Strain into a container through a fine mesh strainer and set aside.
Make the Olive Oil Cake
- Preheat oven to 350* F. Prepare a 8" round cake pan by greasing it with coconut oil or pan spray and placing a parchment circle into the bottom of the pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.1 ¾ Cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, non-dairy milk, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Then, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until combined.¾ Cup Granulated Sugar, ½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk, 2 teaspoon Lemon Juice, Zest of ½ a lemon
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread out evenly.
- Bake at 355* F for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately brush the top of the cake with about 2 tablespoons of the cardamom honey.
- Allow to cool completely, then flip upside down onto a wire rack, then right side up onto a serving platter.
- Drizzle with 2 more tablespoons of cardamom honey and garnish with fruit or slivered almonds.
- Slice and serve with the remaining cardamom honey for drizzling.
Katie says
Would regular honey work instead of the cardamom vegan honey? I’d love to try that sometime but I’m not vegan and if regular honey is a go, I have all of these ingredients already on hand! 🙂
Megan Calipari says
yes, it definitely would!
Katie says
Thanks for responding, I wasn't sure if there was going to be a texture issue or something! Will have to try this over the weekend!
Delia says
I did it and it was great!! I used the masala chai mix for the agave syrup. Will definitely make it again! Thank youuu!
Megan Calipari says
So happy you liked it!
martha andrews says
A friend made this cake, it was so yummy!! so now I am going to try it. Thank you!
Megan Calipari says
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it when you make it!
Delia says
I made this with a blood orange infused olive oil and it was perfection! Thank you for such a beautiful and easy recipe!
Megan Calipari says
That sounds like an incredible addition! So happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Fay says
Hi Megan!
Thank you for this delicious easy recipe! It was a hit with my family! I’ll definitely put this in my dessert rotation.
Fay says
Hi Megan!
Five stars! Thank you for a fabulous dessert.
Fay says
Thank you Megan! The cake was delicious and easy to make. I used honey instead of agave syrup. Will be making this again, given the price of eggs, this is a winner!
Megan Calipari says
Thank you so much! This is a favorite among my friends, too!