One-Bowl Lemon and Olive Oil Cake Recipe • 5★

Updated January 2, 2025

Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Judy Kim.

This standalone lemon cake needs no adornment; no glaze or drizzle, no syrupy soak (just a light dusting of powdered sugar if you want it to be beauty contest-ready) – yet it practically oozes with glowing citrus flavor, thanks to the fruity olive oil, tangy yogurt and a dash of piney nutmeg that highlight the various facets of lemon’s character. White chocolate and almond flour add hints of the nutty richness and velvety crumb of an almond torte to what looks like a simple yellow cake. Always seek out organic lemons for zesting, as conventional lemons can be coated with a wax you shouldn’t eat.

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½ cup/105 grams extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan

4 ounces/115 grams white chocolate, chopped or broken into small pieces

1 cup/190 grams granulated sugar

⅔ cup/145 grams full-fat plain yogurt (not Greek; see Tip)

Zest of 2 medium lemons, preferably organic

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from one of the zested lemons)

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup/100 grams almond flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup/140 grams all-purpose flour

Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Step 1Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Lightly grease a 9-inch round metal cake pan with olive oil and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Lightly grease a 9-inch round metal cake pan with olive oil and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

Step 2Add the white chocolate to a large, oven-safe mixing bowl (or metal stand-mixer bowl, if you’ll use a stand mixer), place it in the oven and set the oven to 325 degrees (the gradually warming oven will gently melt the chocolate). Check on the white chocolate every 1 to 2 minutes, prodding it with a whisk to determine whether it has melted; it should take 3 to 5 minutes in total. (Alternatively, microwave the white chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl at 50 percent power, stirring at 15-second intervals, until melted. Heat the oven to 325 degrees for use in Step 6.)

Add the white chocolate to a large, oven-safe mixing bowl (or metal stand-mixer bowl, if you’ll use a stand mixer), place it in the oven and set the oven to 325 degrees (the gradually warming oven will gently melt the chocolate). Check on the white chocolate every 1 to 2 minutes, prodding it with a whisk to determine whether it has melted; it should take 3 to 5 minutes in total. (Alternatively, microwave the white chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl at 50 percent power, stirring at 15-second intervals, until melted. Heat the oven to 325 degrees for use in Step 6.)

Step 3As soon as the chocolate is completely melted, remove it from the oven (the bowl will be hot!) and whisk it gently to make sure it’s perfectly smooth (If it’s not, let the residual heat of the melted chocolate melt any tiny solid bits, or briefly return the bowl to the oven to finish the job).

As soon as the chocolate is completely melted, remove it from the oven (the bowl will be hot!) and whisk it gently to make sure it’s perfectly smooth (If it’s not, let the residual heat of the melted chocolate melt any tiny solid bits, or briefly return the bowl to the oven to finish the job).

Step 4Let the bowl cool until just warm. Add the olive oil to the white chocolate and whisk until well combined. (An electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment will also work.) Add the eggs and mix well. Whisk in the sugar, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla until well combined. Add the almond flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg to the bowl. Give it a good whisking to make it very smooth.

Let the bowl cool until just warm. Add the olive oil to the white chocolate and whisk until well combined. (An electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment will also work.) Add the eggs and mix well. Whisk in the sugar, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla until well combined. Add the almond flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg to the bowl. Give it a good whisking to make it very smooth.

Step 5Finally, add the all-purpose flour and gently whisk just until the batter is evenly mixed with no lumps remaining. Use a flexible spatula to give it a final gentle mix, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Tap the bowl a few times on the countertop to eliminate large air bubbles.

Finally, add the all-purpose flour and gently whisk just until the batter is evenly mixed with no lumps remaining. Use a flexible spatula to give it a final gentle mix, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Tap the bowl a few times on the countertop to eliminate large air bubbles.

Step 6Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and tap the pan on the countertop to force out more air bubbles. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes.

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and tap the pan on the countertop to force out more air bubbles. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes.

Step 7Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a table knife around the edge of the cake pan to loosen the cake. Invert the cake onto a large plate, remove the pan and invert the bare cake back onto the cooling rack to cool at least 30 minutes more. When ready to serve, use a sieve to dust it lightly with powdered sugar, if you wish. Serve warm or at room temperature. When completely cooled, store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a table knife around the edge of the cake pan to loosen the cake. Invert the cake onto a large plate, remove the pan and invert the bare cake back onto the cooling rack to cool at least 30 minutes more. When ready to serve, use a sieve to dust it lightly with powdered sugar, if you wish. Serve warm or at room temperature. When completely cooled, store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

If you already have Greek yogurt, combine ½ cup (115 grams) of it with 2 tablespoons of water in place of the unstrained yogurt.

I want to make this — but am not a fan of white chocolate. Any suggestions for a substitute?

Worked well with Gluten Free flour (Bob’s Red Mill).

I’m not a fan of white chocolate but I decided to give it a try since I had lemons from my tree. I’m so glad I did. The texture is fantastic and it’s not too sweet and will be great for breakfast.

Like others, I didn’t have white chocolate in the house, so I used 4 oz cream cheese. Not sure if that was the problem, but the cake came out a little pudding-like and dense. Not sure I would make it again. It needs more: maybe a topic of macerated fruit, or a filling of ganache. But the lemon flavor is fantastic. To be honest, I think I missed the flavor of butter,

Allow me to suggest Tony’s White Chocolate. Melts beautifully, not too sweet, just what the recipe needs. I’ve never been a fan of white chocolate but this one hit the mark.

Wonderful cake - get all your ingredients out and prepared and the recipe comes together quickly. If you have fat free yogurt, you can make it "fat" by adding two teaspoons of melted butter. Mix the butter with the yogurt well before adding to the batter. I only had fat free vanilla yogurt on hand. My lemons were Meyer so the flavor was very mild. Cake has a delightful texture. It will be made again and again! & served with an assortment of berries for extra flavor.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026274-one-bowl-lemon-and-olive-oil-cake