This rich gluten free olive oil cake is infused with extra virgin olive oil and lime flavors. It is topped with lime icing. I created this recipe with simple, easy to find ingredients and include lots of gluten free baking tips to help you make this well tested gluten free dessert. This recipe also has a dairy-free option. It’s ready in about an hour and 15 minutes, including bake time.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
The Quick Bite: This gluten-free olive oil cake gets its richness from extra virgin olive oil and sour cream, and then flavored with fresh lime juice and zest. I tested it with both King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1, and share exactly what each blend needs. Bake it as a loaf, bundt, or 9-inch round, and finish it with a simple lime icing. It is ready in about an hour and 15 minutes, and easy to make dairy-free.
This gluten free olive oil cake has been on my mind for several years. Our small downtown has an olive oil store and I love going in to taste the different flavors and varieties. Different varieties of olive oil can vary widely in flavor from grassy to peppery, and everything in between. I have wanted to make a cake with these flavors for a long time.
This cake is now the cake I bring when I want something that looks like it came from a bakery without much effort. It can be made in different cake pans, depending on the look you want for the occassion. This cake is elegant enough for a dinner party, simple enough for a weekend breakfast with coffee
Olive oil (EVOO) and sour cream help to keep this cake really moist. I found in my testing that using a little less olive oil worked better. Gluten free flour blends can be starchy and I wanted to make sure this cake didn’t get gummy with too much oil and starch.
This cake recipe uses added liquid besides the sour cream, eggs, oil, vanilla, and lime juice. If you want to try another cake that has a similar process, this Gluten-Free German Apple Cake has a similar rich flavor. See all of my gluten free cake recipes on the blog for more baking inspiration. We also enjoy this Gluten-Free Lemon Bundt Cake when we are craving citrusy desserts.
Testing Notes From My Kitchen
My rule of thumb for making this cake is to dip a small piece of plain bread or cracker in your EVOO and taste it. If it is grassy and peppery with a strong finish, expect that to show through subtly in the cake. If it is mild and buttery, it will be nearly undetectable once baked. Use this as a guide when choosing which olive oil to use.
When you make this cake, I recommend using extra virgin olive oil in this recipe, one that is mild in flavor unless you prefer a stronger olive oil flavor in your cake. The lime juice will mask some of the stronger olive flavors. Typical grocery store brands will be the most mild and buttery in flavor, which may be the best to use until you make and sample the flavors.
I tested this recipe using King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour blends. Both worked very well, but you may need 1 TBSP extra flour if using the Bob’s blend. I would also rest the batter for 15 minutes to let the rice flour soften. This will help to elminate grittiness.
Ingredient Notes and Easy Swaps:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I tested this olive oil cake using King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour blends. Both performed very well and I am sure other blends will also work. Every blend will perform a little differently, so you will need to adjust the moisture level by adding more oil or flour to the batter. Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
- Binder – Binders are really important in gluten free baking. They hold your baked goods together, mimicking the glue in gluten. If your blend doesn’t have a binder, add 3/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum. Learn Why Binders are Important in Gluten-Free Baking.
- Baking Powder and Soda – I used a combination for lift due to the acidity of sour cream and lime juice.
- Sour Cream – I used sour cream to give more moisture to this cake. Dairy-free sour cream will do the same. You could swap plain yogurt, but don’t swap Greek yogurt, it has too low of a fat content for this cake.
- Olive Oil – I used Cobram Estate California Extra Virgin Olive Oil to test and make this gluten free lime olive oil cake. It has a clean flavor with medium levels of bitterness. If you prefer a buttery finish, go for a grocery store brand.
- Lime Juice – I used persian limes in this recipe because that is what I had on hand. Any type of limes will work well. Look for limes with a thick enough peel to use a zester to get enough zest.
Substitutions:
Make it dairy-free using plant based butter and sour cream. I used Earth Balance and Kite Hill Dairy-Free Sour Cream when I tested this recipe.
How to Make a Gluten Free Olive Oil Cake (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Add the gluten free flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend them thoroughly.
Step 2: Add the olive oil, sour cream, eggs, lime juice and zest, and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk until creamy, about 15 seconds.
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Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Step 4: Mix the cake ingredients until they are just barely mixed. Do not overmix the cake batter or it will turn out more dense.
Step 5: Line a one pound loaf pan with parchment paper. Scoop the batter into the pan and smooth it so it is evenly distributed in the pan.
Step 6: Bake at 325ºF (bake not convection bake setting) for 50-55 minutes. I baked this cake at a lower temperature because it protects the crumb from drying out at the edges before the center sets, which is a common GF loaf problem with oil-based batters. The first time I tested this recipe, I baked it at 350ºF and the edges overbaked slightly before the center was fully done. Dropping to 325ºF solved it. If you notice the top getting really dark, but the cake isn’t finished baking, make a foil tent to put over the cake.
Step 7: Remove the cake and insert a toothpick into the middle. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is finished baking. Let the cake sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then pull it out by the parchment paper and set it on a cooling rack.
Step 8: When the cake is cooled, combine the powdered sugar, lime juice, and zest. Mix into a thick icing. Drizzle over the top of the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil for olive oil cake. It has nice flavor and comes in different flavor profiles.
Whether your cake tastes like olive oil will depend on which olive oil you use in this recipe. Some olive oils are grassy, or peppery in flavor, while others are more buttery.
If your cake turned out gummy or dense, it is most likely you overmixed the batter. This removes the air bubbles that are stirred in, removing some of the rise potential. Also look to make sure your batter wasn’t too wet, or the flour blend was too starchy. Lastly, check the expiration date of your baking powder and soda.
This usually happens if the oven temperature is too high. I originally tested this recipe at 350°F and found the edges baked faster than the center could set. Baking at 325°F gives the whole loaf more even time to cook through without drying out the edges.
For more troubleshooting, check out my Gluten-Free Cake Troubleshooting Guide.
More Gluten Free Cake Recipes:
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Gluten-Free Olive Oil Cake with Lime (Moist and Easy)
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups gluten free flour blend 271.17 grams * see notes
- ¾ cup sugar 166.6 grams
- 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 medium eggs 168.7 grams
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 100.1 grams
- ½ cup sour cream 129.6 grams
- ¼ cup lime juice 61 grams
- 2 tablespoons lime zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4.5 grams
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120.2 grams
- 2 tablespoons lime juice 29.8 grams
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Use the bake setting, not convection bake. Make sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven.
- Add 1 3/4 cups gluten free flour blend, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend them thoroughly.
- Add 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup sour cream, 3 medium eggs, 1/4 cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons lime zest, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract to a mixing bowl and whisk until creamy, about 15 seconds.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix the cake ingredients until they are just barely mixed.
- Line a one-pound loaf pan with parchment paper. Scoop the batter into the pan and smooth it evenly.
- Bake at 325ºF (bake, not convection bake setting) for 50-55 minutes. I baked this cake at a lower temperature to protect the crumb from drying out at the edges before the center sets, which is a common problem with oil-based batters in GF loaves. Make a foil tent to cover the cake if the cake top gets too dark.
- Remove the cake and insert a toothpick into the middle. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is finished baking. Let the cake sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then pull it out by the parchment paper and set it on a cooling rack.
- When the cake is cooled, combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 1 teaspoon lime zest. Mix into a thick icing. Drizzle over the top of the cake.
Nutrition
Notes
- I tested this olive oil cake using King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour blends. Both performed very well, and I am sure other blends will also work. Every blend will perform a little differently, so you will need to adjust the moisture level by adding more oil or flour to the batter.
- If your flour blend doesn’t contain a binder, add 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum.
- Make it dairy-free using plant-based butter and sour cream. I used Earth Balance and Kite Hill Dairy-Free Sour Cream when I tested this recipe.
- Test your olive oil flavor. Pour a little in a small dish and dip a piece of bread in. You want your olive oil to have flavor, but if it is too strong, you will taste this in the finished cake. Grocery store basic brands tend to have more of a buttery flavor.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container. Gluten free tends to spoil easily, so if you don’t plan to finish the cake, I recommend slicing it and freezing the slices in a freezer safe container.
Private Notes
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I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
