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Delightfully lemon-y and not super sweet, these Little Lemon Olive Oil Cakes have no butter! A good quality olive oil is used instead – for delicious, tender, fully flavored results!
These yummy little lemon olive oil cakes are my new favorite thing. Packed with a deep lemon flavor (from both zest and juice of fresh lemons), and with olive oil used in place of butter – these little cakes will fly off your counter, and into the mouths of anyone lucky enough to be nearby!
They’re moist, fluffy, but light and tender and are fun for casual gatherings, but fancy enough for dessert after a nice dinner, too. They are great to make ahead (although I’d frost them right before serving, and dust with a little lemon zest too).
I love that they’re super simple and easy to make – really, just 5 minutes prep and 15 minutes in the oven. You don’t HAVE to frost them, or do the candied lemon slices, but why NOT?!
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I managed to whip these up while the kids napped, and they were cool enough when they got up so they could mess them up help me decorate. My littlest one was more about licking the batter bowl (he had to settle for the frosting bowl), than actually HELPING, but my almost 6 year old LOVED squeezing the frosting onto the cakes. Can you pick which ones he did? (Me either, maybe baking is in his future?)
How cute are the cakes, though?
Make the candied lemon slices ahead for easy decorating later. I like to make extra and just… well, um – eat them, really.
The olive oil cakes are easy enough to make, too. Just 2 bowls – and you’re in business. Check out the ingredients:
See? Simple. You could whip these up as last minute company arrives unexpectedly, or make them ahead and pull out at the end of a delicious Italian dinner?
Little Lemon Olive Oil Cakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
Dry
- 1 cup flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/2 cup HemisFares Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
Wet
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tsp fresh lemon zest
- 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
For the Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 TBs butter softened
- 2 Tbs milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: lemon zest for decorating
For the Candied Lemon Slices
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 2 lemons sliced thinly
Instructions
For the Candied Lemon Slices
- Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, heat until the sugar dissolves and the liquid is clear.
- Add the sliced lemons, and simmer until the rinds soften (about 15 mins).
- Lay on parchment paper to cool, then store in the fridge until needed.
- Dip slices in sugar just before serving.
For the Cakes:
- Preheat oven to 350F, and line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
- In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet mixture and fold together until just combined.
- Pour the batter evenly into the muffin tin liners – about half full.
- 10. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when lightly touched.
- 11. Remove from oven.
- 12. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For the Frosting
- With a handheld mixer, blend together the sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and salt until fluffy.
- Decorate cooled cakes with frosting, top with a candied lemon slice and sprinkle with lemon zest if using.
- Devour.
Kathy
November 9, 2017 at 6:53 amThese little gems look fabulous! I am a lover of all things lemon so these cupcakes are perfect for me! Love the use of olive oil instead of butter! I am always looking for good quality olive oil so I will check this one out next time I’m at Kroger.
Kate
November 9, 2017 at 10:04 amI love that you candy your own lemons!