A light, tender cake made without butter—this rosemary olive oil cake is subtly sweet with a fragrant, herbaceous lift. It’s ideal beside a morning cup of coffee or served as a dessert with fruit compote and ice cream.
I love this recipe. It worked perfectly the first time I tried it and quickly became a favorite. After exploring cooking oils, I wanted to highlight extra virgin olive oil in a dessert. Olive oil cakes are a classic Italian-style treat—simple, butter-free, and delicious. This version uses fresh rosemary to bring a bright, savory note that balances the cake’s gentle sweetness. Enjoy it at breakfast or as a light dessert.
Let’s Talk About Pans
You can bake this in a regular cake pan, but a springform pan is convenient for several reasons:
- The cake cools best when released from its pan; the removable sides make this easy.
- Flipping a traditional pan can damage the sugary crust that forms on top. A springform preserves that crust.
- Lining the bottom is simpler: cut a parchment square, set it in the base, tighten the ring, then trim the excess.
If you don’t own a springform pan, don’t worry—this cake still turns out well in a standard pan. Be gentle when removing it and use a cooling rack to avoid dents in the top.
Ingredients for an Olive Oil Cake with Rosemary
The ingredient list is straightforward: flour, sugar, eggs, milk, salt, and baking powder, with extra virgin olive oil and fresh rosemary providing fat and flavor instead of butter and vanilla. Use quality ingredients for the best results.
- Olive oil – Choose a good extra virgin olive oil for flavor.
- Rosemary – Fresh rosemary gives bright, grassy notes; finely chop for best distribution.
- Eggs – Provide volume and structure.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar, with a little reserved to create a sweet crust on top.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works well for a light crumb.
- Milk – Adds slight richness compared to water.
- Baking powder – Provides lift.
- Salt – Enhances all flavors.
Choosing the Olive Oil
Olive oil varies by region, harvest, and processing, and these factors affect taste. For this cake, use a cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil—unrefined oils preserve the fruitiness and aroma that make the cake special. If possible, pick an oil with a recent harvest date and a reputable certification or source.
Spending a bit more on a quality oil pays off. Good extra virgin olive oil improves this cake and will also elevate dressings, roasted vegetables, and pastas.
How to Make Olive Oil Cake with Rosemary
The method focuses on aeration rather than creaming, since there’s no butter. From start to finish the cake can be in the oven quickly and cooling in under an hour.
Step 1 – Foam Eggs & Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Finely chop fresh rosemary until you have about 1 tablespoon.
Because this is a butter-free cake, use the foaming method: beat eggs and sugar to build large bubbles for a light sponge. To help this, warm the eggs and sugar over a simmering water bath first—stir occasionally until the mixture is just warm and the sugar has mostly dissolved (about 95°F). Warm eggs incorporate and aerate more effectively, and dissolving sugar helps the mixture beat up pale and fluffy.
Step 2 – Mix & Bake
While the egg mixture warms, prepare the pan and dry ingredients. Take care not to overwork the batter—gentle folding and slow addition keeps the cake light.
- Line an 8″ springform or regular cake pan with parchment and lightly grease with olive oil.
- Weigh or measure oil, milk, and flour.
- Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and chopped rosemary together.
- Remove the warmed egg-sugar bowl from the water bath and beat in a mixer until tripled in volume and pale yellow, about 3–4 minutes.
- On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients until just combined.
- With the mixer still on low, drizzle in the olive oil and milk until the batter is smooth and creamy.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar to form a light crust.
- Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 3 – Cool, Cut, and Enjoy
Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes to make removal easier, then transfer it to a cooling rack and cool at least 20 minutes before slicing. The rack keeps the bottom from steaming and preserves texture.
The cake stays moist for about three days at room temperature in an airtight container, or it can be frozen for up to three months. Serve plain, with fresh fruit compote, or a scoop of ice cream.
FAQ’s
A kitchen scale yields reliable, consistent results. Cup measures vary between sets, but weight ensures your cake turns out the same every time.
Fresh rosemary is best for brightness, but if needed use dried at half the amount.
Yes. The cake is delicious plain, but you can add a simple glaze or powdered sugar if you prefer extra sweetness.
Yes. Cool the cake completely, freeze on a tray, then wrap tightly in plastic and freeze up to three months.
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Serve this cake with a fruit compote or syrup for a lovely pairing. It also complements other light desserts and coffee cakes.
Rosemary Olive Oil Cake
Mikayla M.
Ingredients
- 6 oz eggs (about 3 large)
- 6 oz sugar + 1 tbsp, divided (almost 1 cup)
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 8 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 2/3 cup)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp table salt
- 6 oz extra virgin olive oil (3/4 cup)
- 2 oz milk (1/4 cup)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place 2 inches of water in a pot and bring to a simmer. While it heats, chop rosemary to yield 1 tablespoon.
- Measure sugar into a mixing bowl and add the eggs. Set the bowl over the simmering water, stirring occasionally until the mixture is warm and the sugar is mostly dissolved (about 95°F).
- Prepare an 8″ springform or cake pan by lining with parchment and lightly greasing with olive oil. Measure the oil and milk and set aside.
- Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and chopped rosemary together. Return any rosemary left in the sifter to the dry mix.
- Remove the egg-sugar bowl from the water bath. Beat on medium-low until the mixture triples in volume and becomes pale yellow, about 3–4 minutes.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients until just combined. Then drizzle in the olive oil and milk while mixing on low until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and lightly dust the top with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Last updated September 20, 2019