This ultra soft and moist olive oil cake is topped with a dairy free mascarpone cream, and NO eggs needed! It’s so easy to make for beginner cake bakers, yet the results are deliciously tender and rich- you’ll never know this cake is vegan!

sliced vegan olive oil cake

The most delicious olive oil cake around- and it’s vegan!

This is officially my petition to make all cakes oil based because Oh. MY GOODNESS. This vegan olive oil cake is perfectly moist and tender, and just ridiculously easy. 

We have the lightest, most soft crumb that’s perfectly sweet and rich with notes of “buttery” extra-virgin olive oil. Then it’s topped with my 3 ingredients simple mascarpone whipped cream that’s entirely dairy free.

olive oil cake bitten

It’s a can’t-stop-at-one-bite kind of cake, and makes me really wonder why all cakes aren’t oil-based. Don’t get me wrong. My buttery vegan vanilla cake and vegan chocolate cake are two of the most top rated recipes. 

But I think the reason why my cupcake recipes are so good is because they’re oil based. And that’s exactly what this cake is (and note to self, it’s most definitely going in my next cookbook so you can just flip right to the recipe!).

So if you’re looking for an easy one bowl cake recipe that wows a crowd, this vegan olive oil cake recipe is most definitely it. 

sliced vegan olive oil cake on plate

Inside Britt’s Kitchen: Key Olive Oil Cake Tips:

Okay so while the end result of this vegan olive oil cake is jaw droppingly delicious and SO easy, the process took me a few tries to really figure out the texture and ratio of ingredients. 

For starters: We used my regular swaps – dairy free yogurt for eggs (my all time favorite sub for swapping out eggs) and dairy free milk for milk (any will do- soy, oat milk, cashew, almond, you name it). But instead of butter, olive oil cakes call for, well, extra-virgin olive oil (which is naturally dairy free and vegan of course).

My first go was a sunken mess, as you can see. Too much oil, not enough flour, and the texture almost felt like biting into marzipan. 

olive oil cake test 1

Next attempt was now too dry, but the rise was LOVELY. I also think I baked it too long, which will definitely dry out the cake.

testing round 2

The third and final attempt, which was then further tested to ensure that it wasn’t a lucky and random bake, was the winner. The olive oil cake rose beautifully and baked for just the right amount of time. It was tender, rich, and soft in crumb with a beautiful sweet olive flavor coming through. 

So through these tests, I’ve reduced down my experience to a few tips:

  • Use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil: This is going to sound weird, but a lot of olive oils in the U.S. contain a fraction of real olive oil. You want a super high quality, extra virgin variety. I really like Jovial Foods.
  • I recommend a springform pan in lieu of a traditional cake pan: It’s way easier to remove the cake. You can, however, bake this as a 9×9 square cake as well.
  • Don’t reduce the sugar! The sugar amount keeps the cake moist, and will be really nicely complemented with the mascarpone cream, which is way less sweet.

The dairy-free mascarpone whipped cream:

Ever since recreating my vegan tiramisu to be soy free, I’ve been highly obsessed with my mascarpone filling. It doubles as an amazing Chantilly cream (which is essentially what’s on top here!), which is perfect for when you want something different than just vegan whipped cream.

We’re using my vegan mascarpone (which is just 3 ingredients), along with vegan heavy cream, and powdered sugar. Oh, and a touch of vanilla bean paste. 

The key here is making sure the whipped cream bowl is chilled. Pop that in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before making the whipped cream.

Next, vegan heavy cream takes a bit more time to whip than regular heavy cream. Don’t worry, it will fluff up. You just need patience! 

Finally, I really like using Silk or Plant Crock’s vegan heavy cream when I can get my hands on it. Califia has been hit or miss for me. I think because it’s coconut based, it’s super finicky and doesn’t always whip up (and will just go straight to being split whipped cream- not fun!).

Other seasonal toppings:

Figs aren’t always in season, so here are a few more fun ideas:

  • Cherry compote and lemon zest
  • Blueberries and blackberries with chopped almonds
  • Strawberries wit orange zest
  • Fresh berries, lime zest and pistachios
bitten slice of olive oil cake

You can also rub the zest of 2 lemons into the sugar before whisking into the cake batter for more of a lemon flavor. And additionally, you can add in 1/2 tsp of almond extract for a nuttier flavor!

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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sliced vegan olive oil cake

One Bowl MOIST Vegan Olive Oil Cake with ‘Mascarpone’ Cream

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cooling time: 60
  • Cook Time: 48
  • Total Time: 2 hours 3 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This ultra soft and moist olive oil cake is topped with a dairy free mascarpone cream, and NO eggs needed! It’s so easy to make for beginner cake bakers, yet the results are deliciously tender and rich- you’ll never know this cake is vegan!


Ingredients

Scale

Olive Oil Cake:

  • 1 cup (220 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup (150 g) dairy free sour cream or vegan Greek yogurt, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour*
  • 3/4 cup (180 mL) dairy free milk, room temperature

Mascarpone Whipped Cream:

  • 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) vegan heavy cream, cold
  • 1 batch vegan mascarpone, cold
  • 1/4 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • Fresh fruit and chopped nuts, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Recipe Prep: Make sure that the vegan mascarpone is already made, as this takes some time to chill and cool. I recommend the day before making the cake.
  2. Cake Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F, and line and grease a 9″ springform cake pan with parchment paper and oil or cooking spray. Make sure that the vegan mascarpone is already made, as this takes some time to chill and cool.
  3. Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar, dairy free yogurt, and vanilla extract. Then add in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch, and whisk again until fully integrated. Finally, add in the flour, and begin to whisk as you pour in the dairy free milk. Whisk JUST until there are barely any clumps, being careful not to over mix, as that will create a gummy texture.
  4. Bake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan, and place the cake into the oven to bake for 48-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Cool: Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool in its pan for 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove the springform pan by running a butter knife along the edges and removing the walls of the cake pan. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 30-45 minutes. While the cake is cooling, place a medium mixing bowl into the freezer to chill for the whipped cream.
  6. Make the mascarpone whipped cream: Once the cake is fully cooled, you can make the mascarpone frosting. In the chilled bowl, pour in the vegan heavy cream, and use a hand mixer to cream the vegan heavy cream until stiff peaks are achieved, about 5 minutes. Then add in the powdered sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla bean paste, and cream again. Finally, add in the mascarpone, and cream again until the mascarpone is fully integrated.
  7. Frost and decorate the cake: Spoon the frosting on top of the olive oil cake. Decorate with fresh fruit, nuts, and citrus zest if desired.
  8. Slice and enjoy! Slice the cake, serve, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an air tight container and in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

Gluten free: I like King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour blend. It’s wonderful here!