Best Lime Olive Oil Cake Recipe
As a gal who loves a tangy treat, one dessert will always bring me to my knees: key lime pie. Knowing how popular it is in the summer, I thought, “What if I make a cake inspired by a key lime pie?” And here we are. This lime olive oil cake is one of the best cakes I’ve ever had and one of my favorite recipes to date.
Now, olive oil cakes can go a few ways, but this one is light and soft. For a little citrusy tang, we’re using lime zest and juice in the cake. We’re making a whipped cream topping with a smidge of cream cheese, giving it a delicious stability and the perfect tang. Lastly, of course, we’re making a quick 4-ingredient lime curd and spooning that all into a well in the center of the whipped cream.
It’s fluffy, it’s light, it’s got that delicious sweet and tart balance, it’s SO GOOD.
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WHAT IS AN OLIVE OIL CAKE?
Often, the main source of fat in a cake is butter, but in an olive oil cake, the olive oil holds that job. This makes for a moist cake that is often served in a single layer. Now, I’ve found that depending on the recipe and quantity of oil, some olive oil cakes can be a little more dense, while others are lighter and fluffier. To be clear, this lime olive oil cake is team fluffy.
Depending on how skilled your tastebuds are (for me, it depends on the day), olive oil often has a fruity note to it. This makes it perfectly paired with fruity add-ins like lemon, orange, and lime. The beauty of the olive oil cake is that it is often simply served, sometimes eaten as they are, or with a side of fresh fruit compote and a light whipped cream. All in all, olive oil cakes, with their Mediterranean roots, are a refreshing bite perfect for any season.
What’s the purpose of adding zest to desserts? Zest is that ninja ingredient that adds a whole lot more flavor than you think. Especially since we often just go for the “meat” when eating fruits raw. There are delicious oils in the zest that, in my opinion, are the key flavor train drivers when used in baking. Whether you’re rubbing it into sugar or mixing it into batter, the oils from the citrus perfume your bake in the best way!
INGREDIENTS
- Limes: Zest and juice for both the cake and curd
- Granulated Sugar: Provides flavor and moisture
- Eggs: Acts to thicken and give a creamy finish to your curd while binding and providing moisture, structure, and rise to your cake
- Unsalted Butter: Gives a deliciously smooth finish to your curd
- Flour: Key for structure and texture
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Your cake’s primary rising agent
- Salt: Makes the flavors pop while balancing sweetness
- Olive Oil: The fat that adds moisture to your cake
- Buttermilk: Works with the baking powder and soda in the rise of the cake, while creating a tender texture
- Sour Cream: Adds a little tang while softening the cake
- Vanilla Extract: For a little flavor pop
- Cream Cheese: Adds stability and flavor to your whipped topping
- Powdered Sugar: For a smooth, sweet finish
- Heavy Whipping Cream: To create that light whipped cream
How do you line the bottom of a cake pan? Tear a piece of parchment paper a little wider than the width of your round cake pan. Fold it in half to form a rectangle, then in half (top down) to form a square. Fold one corner of your square diagonally across to the other, so you have a triangle. Hold the point of the triangle over the center of your pan, and make a snip at the top to mark it just inside the pan. This way, the circle will lie flat along the base of your tin and not up the sides. Using your scissors, cut off the excess paper in a curved shape (like the edge of a circle), unfold, and now you have a circle of parchment paper to fit in the base of your greased pan! Check this out for a step-by-step visual guide.
HOW TO MAKE LIME OLIVE OIL CAKE
To give it time to cool, you’re going to make your lime curd first. Simply grab a heat-safe pitcher and a medium pot. Then add your cubed butter to the pitcher and place your strainer over the top. To your pot, add your lime zest, lime juice, sugar, and eggs, and whisk until combined. Place your pot over medium-low heat – we want this to cook but not boil – and continuously whisk until thickened. Immediately remove from the heat and pour through your fine mesh strainer over your butter. Whisk the butter into the curd. Set aside to cool while you make your cake and whipped topping.
For your cake, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350°F and grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. See note above for how to make a liner for your cake pan with parchment paper!
Whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, rub together your sugar and lime zest for a minute to release the lime oils into the sugar. Crack in your eggs and whisk for 2 minutes. You’ll notice the mixture gets pale in color. Add in your olive oil, lime juice, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Pour in your dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Pour your cake batter into your prepared baking pan and bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge of the pan to release the cake from the sides before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make your whipped topping, add your softened cream cheese to a bowl and sift in your powdered sugar. Beat together with a mixer until smooth. Add in your vanilla and heavy cream and beat until fluffy. You want it thick enough that it will hold on top of the cake.
Once your cake has cooled, top with whipped cream and spread it out smoothly. Use a spoon to make a well in the center of your cake, leaving about an inch of space from the edge. Spoon half of your curd into the well – save the rest for another use – and top your cake with extra lime zest. Slice and enjoy!
3 reasons you’ll love this cake
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- For your lime curd, make sure you are constantly whisking it while it’s on the stove. This makes for an even creaminess and no lumpiness. For more tips on making lime curd, check out the tip section here!
- Don’t skip lining your cake pan (see above for how to do so with parchment paper)! It makes removing the cake from the pan virtually seamless, with no risk of pieces of cake being left behind
- For a smooth whipped topping, make sure your cream cheese has time to come to room temperature. If it hasn’t, it won’t fully blend, and there will be little bits of cream cheese in your whipped cream. Also, you want to whip your topping until it has a good hold, but keep an eye on it. If you overwhip your cream, it will start to get greasy, grainy, and eventually separate.
- I love the lime in this, but you can easily turn this into any citrus cake by swapping out the zest and juice for either lemon or orange. Note, I would recommend adjusting the lime curd to match whatever your choice of citrus, since it really pops the overall flavor.
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
Store your baked and topped cake covered in the fridge for up to 6 days. If you want to make your lime olive oil cake in advance, tightly wrap your baked and cooled cake and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready, let it defrost completely at room temperature or in the fridge before topping.
MORE CITRUS RECIPES
This Orange Cheesecake, topped with cranberry sauce in a cinnamon graham cracker crust, is one of my favorites. For something fresh and bright, try these simple Orange & Lime Fruit Tarts. If you’re craving pie but something a little simpler, try this Blood Orange Galette with a salted caramel drizzle.
Equipment
- 9-inch round baking pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Microplane/Zester
- Juicer
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mixer
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice about 4 small limes
- 1 tablespoon lime zest about 4 small limes
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lime zest about 7-8 small limes
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream cold
Instructions
- Start by making your lime curd. Place your cut butter into a heat-safe bowl and put a fine mesh sieve over top, set aside. Separately, in a medium pot, whisk together your lime zest, lime juice, sugar, and eggs and place over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, about 6-10 minutes, without letting it boil. Pour your mixture through the strainer into the bowl with the butter. Throw away any of the bits left in the strainer and use a clean whisk or spatula to stir your mixture into your butter until smooth. Set aside to cool completely
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and line a 9-inch round pan with parchment paper
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside
- In a separate large bowl, add your sugar and lime zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers to release the oils, until fragrant (about a minute)
- Crack in your eggs and whisk for 2 minutes until pale. Pour in your olive oil, lime juice, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth
- Add in your dry ingredients, mixing until just combined
- Pour your cake batter into your greased and lined pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
- Let your cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes
- After 10 minutes, use a knife to loosen the sides of your cake from the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely
- For your whipped topping, add your softened cream cheese to a bowl and sift in your powdered sugar, then beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Add in your vanilla and heavy cream and beat until fluffy. You want the mixture to be able to hold on the end of your spatula without running off
- Place your cake on a plate, topped with your whipped cream, and then use a spoon to create a well in the center, leaving about an inch lip from the edge
- Spoon half of your lime curd into the well and spread evenly within. Save the rest of your curd in a sealed container and use it for extra topping, in parfaits, or freeze it for later!
- Top with extra lime zest, slice, and enjoy!
