This olive oil cake is one I return to again and again. I’ve made it for celebrations and slow afternoons alike — dressed with cream and flowers, or set out with tea. It’s a batter I trust, one that changes easily with the seasons. Sometimes it’s bright with lemon and brushed lightly with elderflower. In summer, it’s finished with billowy cream and the season’s juiciest fruit. In the colder months, it leans into citrus and chamomile, soft and fragrant — steeped in syrup while still warm and finished with vanilla bean mascarpone.
Baker’s Notes
Simple syrups are a beautiful way to infuse cakes with more flavor. Chamomile’s gentle floral notes sit naturally alongside citrus. I also love making this cake with Meyer lemons brushed with a lavender or elderflower soak.
I like finishing this cake with softly whipped mascarpone, generously flecked with vanilla bean. The cream is light and billowy, the vanilla floral and perfumed.
Pan Sizes & Baking Times
9-inch cake: 45–50 minutes
Two 8-inch cakes: 40–45 minutes
Three 6-inch cakes: 25–30 minutes
Cupcakes: 18–22 minutes
Mini loaves: 25–30 minutes
Citrus Olive Oil Cake with Chamomile Syrup and Vanilla Bean Mascarpone
Ingredients
Citrus Olive Oil Cake
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup (300g) granulated sugar
1.5 tbsp citrus zest
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (240ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (240ml) whole milk
1/3 cup (80ml) citrus juice (orange, mandarins, lemon…)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Chamomile Syrup
1/3 cup (80ml) citrus juice
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
2 chamomile tea bag or 1 tbsp dried chamomile flowers
Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Cream
1 cup (250g) mascarpone, at room temperature
seeds from a vanilla bean pod
1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/4 cup (300g) heavy cream, cold from the fridge
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line one 9-inch or two 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray and parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In another bowl add the sugar and zest, using your fingertips massage them together to release the oils- it should smell fragrant and amazing. Add the eggs and olive oil and whisk together. Add milk, citrus juice, and vanilla. Give it a good whisk.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Transfer the batter to the prepared pans. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes for 8 inch cakes, and 50-55 for the 9-inch, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- While the cakes are baking make the chamomile syrup. Combine the juice, sugar and chamomile in a small pot. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup has thickened. Remove the tea bags or strain if using flowers.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Remove the cakes and transfer to a cooling rack, while they are still warm brush with the chamomile syrup.
- For the whipped mascarpone, whip the mascarpone, vanilla bean and sugar together until smooth, then add the cream, salt and whip until thick and fluffy.
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