Strawberry Olive Oil Cake with Honey-Lemon Glaze

Strawberry Olive Oil Cake with Honey-Lemon Glaze

Fresh strawberries are hitting their peak right now across California, and there's something almost magical about what happens when you fold them into a batter made with good olive oil. Grandma Angelica used EVOO in her baking long before it became a conversation — she'd say butter makes a cake rich, but olive oil makes it sing.

This cake is simple in the best possible way: one bowl, a handful of pantry staples, and a generous pour of our California Arbequina EVOO. The oil keeps the crumb impossibly moist, adds a subtle grassy note that plays beautifully against bright spring strawberries, and carries that gentle peppery finish right through to the last bite.

We finish it with a light honey-lemon glaze and one final drizzle of olive oil straight from the bottle — Grandma's move, and one we'd never skip.

Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 45 min | Servings: 8

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Ingredients

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup Angelica's Organic Arbequina EVOO, plus a little more for finishing
• ¾ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest (about 1 large lemon)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (about 8 oz)
• 2 tbsp raw honey (for glaze)
• 1 tbsp warm water (for glaze)
• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch round cake pan generously with olive oil. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper and give that a light coat too.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt until evenly combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs together until the mixture turns pale and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
4. Pour the ¾ cup of EVOO into the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking as you go. Add the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla, and stir until everything is smooth and glossy.
5. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and fold gently with a flexible spatula until just combined — a few faint streaks of flour are perfectly fine. Don't overwork it.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, then scatter the halved strawberries evenly over the top, pressing each one in just slightly so they nestle into the surface.
7. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Let the cake rest in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack.
8. Stir the honey and warm water together until loose. While the cake is still warm, brush or spoon the glaze generously over the top. Finish with a thin, slow drizzle of EVOO and a small pinch of flaky sea salt.

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Chef's Tips

• Use the ripest strawberries you can find. Peak-season berries are naturally sweet and jammy — they need no extra sugar and they make the whole kitchen smell like summer. If your berries are on the smaller side, leave them whole.
• Don't skip the finishing drizzle. That last pass of olive oil after the glaze keeps the crumb moist for days and adds the subtle grassy note that separates this from any butter cake you've ever made. Our Arbequina EVOO — with its buttery character and gentle pepper finish — is exactly what this moment calls for.
• It gets better overnight. If you can resist cutting into it immediately, this cake rewards patience. The olive oil soaks deeper into the crumb as it sits, and the flavors settle into something richer and more complex. Covered at room temperature, it keeps beautifully for up to 3 days.

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Salud!