Have you been gifted a high-quality extra virgin olive oil that you don't want to waste on an average weeknight meal? We've got the exquisitely luxurious dessert to convince you to break the seal on that bottle.
This recipe for extra virgin olive oil cake comes from baking mastermind Thalia Ho. Her book, Bittersweet, zeroes in on how each of the five tastes — sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami — contributes to a perfectly balanced dessert. Ho's approach to olive oil cake is fittingly granular: She carefully focuses on celebrating "refined fruitful notes."
"The flavor will change depending on the olive oil used," Ho writes — so let this be your sign to go crazy with the best your kitchen has to offer. (And if you're in the market for an impressive evoo, we recommend Brightland's.)
To further amplify the richness, the recipe calls for just a dash of lemon juice and zest. You'll also need some almond meal to ensure a moist, tender crumb. You won't need to worry about picking up anything extra to complement the cake — Ho explains that, "it’s intense, and a slice should be served alone." Expect a rich, complete, and unapologetically stand-alone dessert.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Cake Recipe
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (265 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (30 g) almond meal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Zest and juice from 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1⅓ cups (300 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1¼ cups + 1 tablespoon (265 g) granulated sugar, plus more for the top
- Flaked almonds, for the top
Instructions
- Adjust a rack to the middle of the oven, then preheat it to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line an 8-inch (20-cm) round springform cake pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, zest, and salt into a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl or measuring jug, stir together the oil, milk, and lemon juice.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer that’s fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a balloon whisk and some heavy-handed action, whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed until pale, thick, and voluminous, 3 to 5 minutes. The mixture should fall back onto itself in a trail when the whisk is lifted. Lower the speed and stream in the liquids. Whisk until combined. Whisk in the dry ingredients until almost combined — some floury streaks should remain — then, using a rubber spatula, finish folding together by hand until the batter is uniform. Pour into the prepared pan. Scatter with almonds, then with sugar.
- Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, until domed, crackled, and golden. A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes, then unmold and leave to cool completely. Because this cake is made with oil, it will keep well for 2 to 3 days, intensifying as it sits. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place at room temperature.
The Sixth Sense: No better end than to serve a slice with another liquid gold, the eucharist, Vin Santo, an Italian dessert wine.
Excerpted from Bittersweet: The Five Tastes of Dessert and Beyond © 2026 by Thalia Ho. Photography © 2026 by Thalia Ho. Reproduced by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
