This Lemon-Rosemary Olive Oil Cake brings together the best of savory and sweet flavors and all the benefits of olive oil in a dessert.
Featured Ingredients
Lemons are the most nutrient-dense citrus fruit. They are particularly rich in vitamin C, providing more vitamin C than oranges per serving! Vitamin C has powerful antioxidant properties, along with serving as an enzyme cofactor, and playing important roles in immune system and mental health.
Olive oil is consistently linked with health benefits, including reducing cardiovascular disease risk (both heart disease and stroke), Alzheimer’s risk, and cancer risk, improving blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity, reducing likelihood of weight gain (and maybe even aid in weight loss), reducing joint pain and swelling in rheumatoid arthritis, and generally reduce markers of inflammation.
Eggs are full of nutrients! A single serving of 2 eggs provides at least 10% or more of the daily value of 17 different nutrients, with the yolk containing the vast majority of the nutrition.
![Lemon-Rosemary Olive Oil Cake on white cake stand with slice removed on small white plate (lemons, honey, and rosemary in the background)](https://nutrivore.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Lemon-Rosemary-Olive-Oil-Cake-2000x1600-2-800x600.jpg)
Lemon-Rosemary Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin (plus 2 teaspoons to oil cake pan)
- 1/3 cup yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cup flour all purpose
- 1 1/2 teaspoon rosemary fresh and finely minced
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Glaze
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil to lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch cake pan. Gently wipe out any extra. Cut a small piece of parchment paper into a circle and place on the bottom of the cake pan.
- Wisk together the flour, baking powder, rosemary, and salt in a medium sized bowl.
- Using a stand mixer or hand held mixer and another medium sized bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Then add honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the eggs and beat until creamy (about 3 minutes). Reduce speed and add oil and yogurt and mix together for another minute.
- Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until blended.
- Pour the batter into the lightly oiled cake pan, and place on the middle rack in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking and about 5 minutes before it’s done, make a glaze by adding equal parts of honey and lemon juice to a small sauce pan—about two tablespoons each—and heat until honey has become liquid.
- When cake is done, while it’s still warm but cool enough to handle, remove cake from cake pan and place on serving plate. (Gently tip the cake pan and let the cake fall to your finger tips in one hand. Remove parchment paper from the cake with your other hand. Then gently place the cake on the platter).
- Drizzle the glaze onto the cake while it’s still warm. Let the cake cool completely before cutting slices.
This cake sounds delicious! Would it work if I substituted coconut yoghurt and a gluten free flour please? And which GF flours would work best please. I’ve never been a natural in the kitchen but would really like to try this recipe.
Hi Cassandra, thanks for your question. Dr. Sarah makes this cake with cassava flour. You don’t need quite as much cassava, just 1 cup. You could also use any store bought GF flour that states it’s a 1:1 swap for all-purpose flour, and that is going to be the easiest. You could absolutely use coconut yogurt.
Would plain Greek yogurt work for this recipe or would it provide too much tang?
Absolutely! That will be great.
Any thoughts on using almond flour instead of a starchy grain? Thanks for any ideas.
Hi Gina – converting this recipe to a low carb cake would take some experimenting. I’ll bet it would be easier to take your favorite low carb cake and simply add the main flavor profiles of this cake, namely lemon zest, lemon juice, and rosemary. (Maybe even a touch of the olive oil and honey). Let us know how that goes!