This Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Strawberries is brightened with citrus and features juicy strawberries in every super-moist slice. Baked in a simple loaf pan instead of a fussy springform, it comes together in one blender with no mixer required!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Lemon Olive Oil Cake Recipe
- Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- How to Make Strawberry Lemon Olive Oil Cake
- Tips for the Best Cake
- Variations on Strawberry Lemon Olive Oil Cake
- Storage & Make-Ahead
- Troubleshooting
- FAQs About Strawberry Lemon Olive Oil Cake
- Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Strawberries Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Lemon Olive Oil Cake Recipe
Olive oil has been the only oil in our pantry for as long as we can remember — long before “olive oil cake” started showing up on food blogs and bakery menus in America. Growing up, it was just what you reached for, whether you were making dinner or dessert!
This particular loaf came from wanting a spring dessert that didn’t require a springform pan, a stand mixer, or a single dirty bowl beyond the blender. Whole strawberries and lemon get blitzed right into the batter, so the flavor is woven all the way through. It’s the kind of cake you can throw together on a weeknight and still feel like you did something a little impressive. Here are some other reasons we’re head over heels for this recipe:
- One-bowl, blender-method batter — There’s no creaming, no mixer, and minimal cleanup!
- Stays moist for days — Olive oil keeps this loaf tender far longer than a butter-based cake.
- Real strawberry flavor, not just decoration — Whole strawberries are blended right into the batter — not just sprinkled on top. Plus, more are folded in for texture.
- Loaf pan, not springform — Loaves are easier to slice and easier to store, and there are no pan-release issues!
- Strawberry-lemon glaze — This ties the whole cake together without making it too sweet.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Cake
- Strawberries (whole, blended in) – Use ripe, fragrant strawberries. Frozen strawberries work too; fold them in unthawed if you’re using them in the diced portion so they don’t bleed extra liquid into the batter.
- Lemon (peel and pith removed) – Using the whole lemon gives the cake plenty of citrus flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Reach for a mild, fruity EVOO rather than a robust, peppery one. A bold olive oil can make a sweet cake taste more like the oil than the cake — mild is what you want.
- Sour cream – Adds richness and helps keep the crumb tender. Full-fat Greek yogurt is a fine swap if that’s what’s in your fridge.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar works well, or you can experiment with sugar substitutions.
- Flour – All-purpose flour gives the cake its structure.
- Baking Powder – We use baking powder so that the cake turns out light and fluffy.
- Vanilla bean paste – This gives the batter a bit of warm flavor. Regular vanilla extract works as a swap if that’s what you have.
- Sea Salt – Just a pinch balances out the sweetness and brings out the citrusy flavor.
- Diced strawberries (folded in) – Tossing these in a spoonful of the flour before folding them in helps keep them suspended through the loaf instead of sinking to the bottom.
Glaze
- Strawberry preserves – These turn a plain lemon glaze into a strawberry-lemon version! Pick a preserve with real strawberry pieces if you want little flecks of color in the glaze.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioner’s sugar makes the glaze silky smooth.
- Fresh lemon juice – Use the juice of a fresh lemon for the brightest flavor.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla helps to build a similar flavor profile to the cake.
How to Make Strawberry Lemon Olive Oil Cake
The whole cake comes together in a blender: strawberries, lemon, olive oil, sugar, and vanilla bean paste get blitzed until completely smooth, which is what gives the batter its even, fruity flavor. Then, sour cream and dry ingredients are combined before folding the strawberries in.
This recipe couldn’t be easier! Just make sure to avoid overmixing, which will lead to a dense and gummy crumb.
(Full ingredient amounts, oven temperature, and bake time are in the recipe card below.)
Tips for the Best Cake
- Use a mild olive oil. This is the single biggest factor in whether your cake tastes “off.” A fruity, mild EVOO disappears into the moisture of the cake; a bold, peppery one won’t work well with the strawberries and lemon.
- Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. Pulse just until you no longer see streaks of flour. Overmixing develops gluten, which is what makes quick breads become dense instead of turning out tender.
- Toss the diced strawberries in flour before folding them in. The thin flour coating helps the strawberries grip the batter instead of sliding straight to the bottom as the cake bakes.
- Watch the loaf, not the clock, for doneness. Ovens vary, so start checking with a toothpick a few minutes before the low end of the bake time.
- This loaf pan runs larger than standard. If you only have a standard 9×5-inch pan, expect a taller loaf and a longer bake time.
Variations on Strawberry Lemon Olive Oil Cake
- Swap the citrus. Meyer lemon, or a mix of lemon and orange, both work beautifully in place of regular lemon.
- Skip the glaze and dust with powdered sugar instead for a simpler, less sweet finish.
- Make it a layer of jam instead of a glaze by swirling a spoonful of strawberry preserves directly into the batter before baking for pockets of jammy strawberry throughout.
- Mini loaves: Divide the batter between 3-4 mini loaf pans for individual gifting; start checking for doneness around 30–35 minutes.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Store the glazed strawberry lemon olive oil cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week. The olive oil keeps it moist far longer than a butter cake would last.
To freeze, wrap the unglazed loaf tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and glaze just before serving. The batter itself doesn’t hold well unbaked, so this isn’t a make-the-batter-ahead situation! Bake it through, then store.
Troubleshooting
- My strawberries sank to the bottom. Next time, toss the diced strawberries in a spoonful of the recipe’s flour before folding them in. This helps suspend them through the batter instead of dropping straight down.
- My cake came out dense or gummy. This almost always means the batter was overmixed once the dry ingredients went in. Pulse just until the flour disappears — a few lumps are fine!
- I can taste the olive oil too strongly. Use a mild, fruity extra virgin olive oil rather than a more robust one. The oil should add moisture, not flavor that competes with the strawberries and lemon.
- The top got too dark before the center was done. Tent the loaf with foil a little earlier than the 50-minute mark, especially if your oven runs hot.
- The loaf stuck to the pan. Make sure to leave a parchment overhang on the long sides when lining the pan, and let the loaf cool in the pan for the full 15 minutes before attempting to lift it out.
FAQs About Strawberry Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Yes! A 9-inch round or springform pan works fine. It will bake faster than the loaf, so start checking for doneness around 35-40 minutes.
Not if you use a mild, extra virgin olive oil. The oil should add moisture and richness, not a noticeable olive flavor.
Absolutely!. For the blended portion, frozen is fine since it’s all blitzed smooth anyway. For the folded-in diced strawberries, add them frozen and unthawed so they don’t release excess liquid into the batter.
Store it covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. The olive oil keeps it noticeably moister, for longer, than other cakes.
Sure! Meyer lemon or a mix of lemon and orange both work well in place of regular lemon, using the same quantity.
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Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Strawberries
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup whole strawberries hulled (about 6-7 medium strawberries)
- 1 whole lemon peel and pith removed
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- ½ cup diced strawberries
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 10×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal. (Note that this loaf pan is a little larger than the standard-sized loaf pan)
- In a blender, combine the strawberries, lemon, olive oil, sugar, and vanilla bean paste. Blend until completely smooth.
- Add the sour cream and all the dry ingredients and pulse just until combined, DO NOT overmix or your cake will be dry!
- Fold in the diced strawberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 60–70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- About 50 minutes into baking, loosely tent the loaf with foil to prevent the top from becoming too dark.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the strawberry preserves, powdered sugar, and fresh lemon juice until smooth and pourable. If it’s too runny, add more powdered sugar; if it is too thick, add another squeeze of fresh lemon
Equipment
Notes
Notes
- Use a mild, fruity extra virgin olive oil rather than a robust one for the best flavor balance.
- Toss diced strawberries in a spoonful of the flour before folding in to help prevent sinking.
- Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days, in the fridge up to a week, or freeze the unglazed loaf up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
