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Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Sourdough Discard Recipe
This lemon olive oil cake with sourdough discard recipe is simple, incredibly moist, and delicious. The recipe contains minimal ingredients. And it takes minimal time to whisk up the batter. I choose to bench ferment my batter to increase digestibility and crumb, but it can also be made without a rest and ready in under an hour.
I try to make homemade treats once or twice a week for my family to enjoy for snacking, dessert, and/or breakfast. This lemon olive oil sourdough cake was used for all three! It was gone in 2 days. Baking treats is not only healthier than store-bought, but also cost-efficient. This cake cost me less than $4 to make, if even that. I needed to use lemons I bought in bulk that would have gone bad if I had not used them. And I always have olive oil and sourdough on hand, so it was a no-brainer when I thought to make a lemon olive oil sourdough cake out of my excess lemons.
Quick and Easy Lemon Olive Oil Cake Timing
I made the batter at lunch and let it sit out until it was time to get my kids from school. I preheated the oven when I went to get them, and the cake was ready for our afternoon snack shortly after we settled into doing homework. It was so good we decided to have more for dessert and then ate the rest for breakfast the next day.
Benefits of Baking Treats at Home vs Buying from the Store
You can bake if you can make short snippets of time in your day. One of the things I have come to like about sourdough baking is that I can chop my kitchen time into segments. For example, I can measure dry ingredients in the morning or the night before. Or in this instance, I made my lemon sugar first.
Mixing is another step I can incorporate in between chores like dishes or laundry.
And bench resting or long fermentation in the refrigerator does not involve me, but gives me the ability to bake when I am ready. So in five to ten minutes here and there throughout my day, I can bake a cake!
Check out some of my other sourdough recipes if you are interested in incorporating more sourdough into your everyday baking.
Controlling Contents – Lower Sugar, No Preservatives or Additives
You do not control the ingredients when buying from a grocery store or a bakery. Baking treats at home ensures you have control over how much sugar you add to something. I bake with less sugar in most recipes because most store-bought treats have too much sugar. I decided to go a bit sweeter than my norm for this lemon olive oil sourdough cake because I wanted to counter the lemon and not ice the cake.
Also, have you looked at the contents of a store-bought treat? You’ll find copious amounts of additives and preservatives in packaged goods. Even bakeries try to cut costs with low-cost ingredients and stabilizers to preserve shelf life and increase profits. At home, you control the ingredients. This recipe for lemon olive oil cake with sourdough discard only has a few ingredients.
Controlling Costs – 80% Less than Bakery Bought
Homemade Lemon Olive Oil Cake is at least five times less expensive than bakery-bought even when using high-end ingredients. I used organic flour, pasture-raised eggs, and quality extra virgin olive oil from Italy in my cake, and it still cost me less than $4 to make. If I bought a lemon olive oil sourdough cake at a bakery, it would be at least $20, and the ingredients would not be as high end as I decided to use at home.
How to Serve Lemon Olive Oil Sourdough Cake
I topped our cake slices with a dusting of powdered sugar. It made each slice look elegant. You could also drizzle it with a berry sauce/compote or serve it with whipped cream alongside fresh berries. If you feel extra lemony, try a simple lemon glaze with powdered sugar and lemon juice.
Lemon olive oil cake with sourdough discard goes well with tea, coffee, or milk. It could even be served with sparkling wine.
This cake is so incredibly delicious! I hope you make it.
Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Sourdough Discard
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 g granulated sugar 1 cup
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 3 large eggs
- 120 ml extra virgin olive oil ½ cup
- 120 ml whole milk or buttermilk ½ cup
- 80 g sourdough discard ⅓ cup
- 60 ml fresh lemon juice ¼ cup
- 190 g all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) (unless bench resting). Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
- Infuse the sugar: In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant.200 g granulated sugar, Zest of 2 lemons
- Mix wet ingredients: Whisk in eggs until light and frothy, then add olive oil, milk, sourdough discard, and lemon juice.3 large eggs, 120 ml extra virgin olive oil, 120 ml whole milk or buttermilk, 80 g sourdough discard, 60 ml fresh lemon juice
- Combine dry ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.190 g all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Mix batter: Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Optional Ferment: Allow batter to bench rest for 2-3 hours.
- Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool & Serve: Let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve plain or dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Flour Substitute: You can swap up to 25% of the all-purpose flour with spelt for a nuttier flavor.
- Milk Choice: Buttermilk enhances the tanginess, while whole milk keeps it neutral. Use yogurt and milk for a combination of the two.
- Olive Oil: Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Sourdough Discard: Adds moisture and complexity without making the cake taste “sourdoughy.”
- Serving Ideas: Enjoy it plain, dusted with powdered sugar, drizzled with a lemon glaze, or topped with whipped cream and berries.
- Storage: Store at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Can be frozen for up to 2 months (wrap tightly).
Nutrition
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