This tender and moist lemon olive oil cake is filled with tart refreshing lemon curd and a rich mascarpone frosting. Decorate the lemon mascarpone cake with dried pressed flowers for an extra special touch.
How darling is this Lemon Olive Oil cake? My mother-in-law loves to press flowers. Her delicate flowers were always the perfect decoration for our mother’s day dessert. As you can see, the flowers retained their bright color. The pressed flowers are so vibrant yet delicate, I thought why not feature them on a delightful springtime cake?
This citrus olive oil cake recipe features a tart lemon curd filling and a rich mascarpone frosting. Then we gently add flowers for beautiful decoration. It is an impressive looking and mouth-watering dessert that’s perfect for any special occasion!
Recipe Ingredients
To Make the Cake:
- All-purpose flour
- Almond flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Lemon olive oil or light flavored olive oil
- Almond milk
- Vanilla
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
For the Mascarpone Frosting:
- Whipping cream
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon curd
- Mascarpone
For the Lemon Filling:
How to Make Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Curd
First, Make the Sponge
- Gather a measure ingredients. Lightly butter and flour two 6-inch cake pans. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk or sift flour and almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until light yellow and foamy.
- Add sugar while beating and mix until thick and mixture ribbons off of the beaters.
- With the mixer running, slowly add olive oil then mix in milk.
- Next stir in lemon zest, vanilla, and lemon juice.
- Slowly add flour while mixing. Beat only until smooth.
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake in a 350 F degree oven for 25-30 minutes. The cake will be golden brown and will spring back when lightly touched.
Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove from pan and place on a cooling rack. Cool completely. Cut each layer in half to make a 4 layer cake.
Next, Make the (Amazing!) Lemon Curd Mascarpone Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar. Whip on high speed until soft peaks form.
- Mix in lemon curd.
- Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip just until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly. Be very careful not to over mix mascarpone or it will turn grainy.
The icing should be thick and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use. You can make both of the first two major steps in this lemon olive oil cake recipe the day before assembling!
Assemble and Decorate the Cake with Pressed Flowers!
- Place bottom layer on a platter lace the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Pipe a dam of frosting around the outside of the cake. Spread 1/3 cup lemon curd filling evenly on top of the cake layer, inside the dam. It should fill the dam about halfway full.
- Add some additional mascarpone frosting to the top of the lemon curd and spread into an even layer. Repeat this process for the second and third layer of cake. Filling each layer with the remaining lemon curd and additional mascarpone frosting.
- Add the final layer of cake on top, then smooth out the frosting around the sides of the cake. Frost the outside of the cake.
Decorate the citrus olive oil cake with pressed flours or fresh flowers. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. The cake can be made a day in advance and will keep well for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mascarpone is a type of cheese, similar to cream cheese and clotted cream. It is rich, sweet and tangy, and balances perfectly with the tart lemon.
Absolutely! Just be sure to use safe and non-toxic flowers. Organic is best to avoid added pesticides. Although they technically can be eaten, I suggest removing the flowers before slicing and serving. They are not as tasty as they are lovely!
Yes. Because it made with dairy ingredients that are not cooked, the cake should be kept loosely covered in the fridge.
Store in a protective cake box or lightly wrap with plastic and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. But the fresher, the better. Also note to remove the fresh and pressed flowers before refrigerating the cake.
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Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone and Lemon Curd
Tender and moist lemon olive oil cake filled with tart refreshing lemon curd and a rich mascarpone frosting. Decorate with dried pressed flowers for an extra special touch.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup flour 120 g
- 1/2 cup almond flour 60 g
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar 150 g
- 1/2 cup lemon olive oil or light flavored olive oil 120 ml
- 1/2 cup almond milk 120 ml (or reg. milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
Mascarpone icing:
- 2 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup lemon curd
- 8 oz mascarpone
Filling:
- 1 cup lemon curd
Optional
- Dried or fresh flowers for decorating
Instructions
For cake:
-
Preheat oven to 350 (180C) degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly butter and flour two 6-inch round cake pan. Set aside. In a small bowl whisk together flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
-
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Add sugar and beat until mixture has thickened and is pale yellow. While mixing, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Add almond milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix until well blended. Gently mix or fold in flour mixture.
-
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and when cake springs back when lightly touched. Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Invert to a cooling rack and cool completely.
For Mascarpone icing:
-
In a large mixing bowl add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar. Whip on high speed until soft peaks form. Mix in lemon curd. Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip just until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly. Be very careful not to over mix mascarpone or it will turn grainy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To Assemble:
-
Slice cake each into 2 layers. Place bottom layer on a platter lace the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Pipe a dam of frosting around the outside of the cake.
-
Spread 1/3 cup lemon curd filling evenly on top of the cake layer, inside the dam. It should fill the dam about halfway full.
-
Add some additional mascarpone frosting to the top of the lemon curd and spread into an even layer.
-
Repeat this process for the second and third layer of cake. Filling each layer with the remaining lemon curd and additional mascarpone frosting.
-
Add the final layer of cake on top, then smooth out the frosting around the sides of the cake. Frost the outside of the cake. Decorate the cake with pressed flours or fresh flowers.
-
Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. The cake can be made a day in advance and will keep well for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
-
Decorate with dried or fresh flowers.
Recipe Notes
- The cake can be made in advance. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1-2 weeks.
- Do not over mix mascarpone. Icing will turn grainy.
- The cake can be made and iced a day in advance before serving.
- Store cake in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
High altitude adjustments above 4,000 ft for baking cake
1 cup + 1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup minus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup lemon olive oil or light flavored olive oil
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
Follow above directions for mixing and baking cake.
This is an update on a recipe posted in 2014 with added photo’s, recipe card, and nutrition.
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This looks so DELICIOUS and i hope to make it for my husbandโs bday this weekenD. The problem is, I Only have 9 inch cake pans. Iโd be okay doing fewer layers (ie Make two 9 inch cakes and layer one on ToP of the other – so the cake would be wider and not as tall, with fewer layers). How would you adjust baking tIme in that case? Or any other suggestions? Thanks!!!!
Wowser, what a great recipe. I was a basket case doing it because it was for a double birthday fall bonfire event :-). I didn’t have 6″ pans so doubled the cake dough and that extreme lemon curd but elected to stick with the same mascarpone cream amount. Just a joy to have things turn out so very very nice. Incredible flavor across the board. thank you so much, your website is the bomb and i so appreciate how your recipes are what they say they are. yum and simply so very good.
Thank you so much! My daughter just requested this cake for her birthday. It’s addicting! I’m so glad you used the mascarpone. Thank you for your kind comments. I really wanted to make sure all of my recipes work. I worry about baking items because altitude can play a huge role in the success of cakes and bread. You’re the best!
this is a great recipe. (sorry for the caps, it isn’t allowing me to us small case letters)
I live in boulder co and the high altitude adjustments work great. I really APPRECIATE your high altitude recipes.
I made three 6 inch cakes and didn’t cut them. Cook time was 30 minutes.
I had lots of curd and icing leftover. I think that just happens with 6 inch cakes.
Thanks for your great work.
Thank you so much. Lemon curd freezes well or just get a spoon and eat what’s remaining. ๐ High altitude baking can be such a problem. So glad I can help.
Thanks, the link works now and have it pinned. Love lemon curd and always make my own as the store price is outrageous. Have a friend in Tx who sends me Myers lemons which is wonderful and a little more mellow. But usually make it with whatever lemon I can find as this is one of my favorite treats.
Unable to connect to your lemon curd recipe. Tried from this recipe and your lemon curd ice cream also just putting it into your search engine.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I am working on making the corrections to the links. The link at the top of the recipe is working. I don’t know why the recipe card isn’t connecting.
The links in the recipe will now connect to the recipe page. Please let me know if you have any more trouble.
Thank you so much of this recipe, it is now a new favorite. I had to sub. coconut oil for butter in the cake and lemon curd, and used a basic coconut oil frosting instead of the mascarpone (severe milk allergy). But still divine… the texture, the burst of lemon…aahhh. And homemade lemon curd…I am addicted.
Thank you so much for passing on your coconut oil substitutions. My daughter has dairy issues herself and she will be thrilled with this info. You're the best~!
Your cake sounds and looks GORGEOUS! I always appreciate your step-by-step instructions with lots of photos, it's so helpful! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
Thank you so much for your comment. I hope you have a great day yourself.