Lemon Olive Oil Yogurt Cake

A deeply moist, tender olive oil cake with lots of fresh lemon, vanilla, and Greek yogurt. It’s delicious on its own, but sturdy enough to layer with fig jam once chilled.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup olive oil — choose a mild, neutral-tasting olive oil rather than something very peppery or grassy

• 3 large eggs

• 1½ cups granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or the seeds scraped from 2 vanilla bean pods

• ½ cup fresh lemon juice

• Zest of 3 lemons

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¾ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup 2% or full-fat Greek yogurt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan, making sure to coat the bottom and sides well. I prefer using a square pan when I’m serving this as a simple cake because it gives you cleaner, more even slices.

If you plan to layer the cake with fig jam, divide the batter between two 6-inch round cake pans instead.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, eggs, and sugar until well combined.

Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk briefly to incorporate.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in a few additions, alternating with the Greek yogurt and finishing with the dry ingredients. Mix gently between each addition.

Do not overmix the batter. Stop as soon as there are no visible streaks of dry flour. A few small lumps are completely fine.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for approximately 35–40 minutes, or until the cake has risen, the top is lightly golden, and the center is baked through. A toothpick or cake tester inserted near the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

A note on baking time: Ovens can vary quite a bit, so your cake may need a little longer, especially if you’re baking it in a deeper pan. An oven thermometer is helpful here.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before carefully removing it and transferring it to a cooling rack.

Because this cake is especially moist, I like to trap a little of that moisture as it cools. While the cake is still warm, I loosely cover or wrap it with plastic wrap. The remaining heat creates a little condensation, which helps keep the cake incredibly soft and moist.

Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing or decorating.

IF FILLING WITH FIG JAM

If you’re making this as a layered cake, I strongly recommend chilling or freezing the cake layers for a few hours before assembling.

This cake is extremely tender and moist, so trying to split, fill, or frost it while warm — or even at room temperature — can cause the layers to break.

Once thoroughly chilled, fill with fig jam and your desired frosting or ganache.