This Gluten Free Olive Oil Cake is absolutely gorgeous. It looks like you spent hours making it when in reality it comes together very easily! The cake is soft, full of blueberries with a lovely sweet, but not overpowering, fruity flavor. It’s sure to wow anyone you serve it to! Best yet, it's also gluten free, eggless, nut free and can easily be made vegan!
This Vegan Olive Oil cake is like a dream. It’s light and fruity without the olive oil being overpowering, just like in my Olive Oil Cookies and my Chocolate Olive Oil Cake! It’s truly one of my favorite cakes now.
For more fruity cake recipes, try Chocolate Blueberry Cake, Mixed Berry Cake, and Eggless Strawberry Cake.
Reasons To Love This Gluten Free Olive Oil Cake
- Allergy Friendly- This cake is gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Soft & Fluffy- The cake is super soft and delicious.
- Blueberries- Fresh blueberries add that nice fruity flavor.
- Olive Oil- Gives it that light fruity flavor.
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour because it’s free of the top 9 allergens. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce and prevents them from falling apart. Since all multipurpose gf flours are not the same, if you use a different gluten free flour, please understand the results will most likely be different.
- Granulated Sugar- We need 1 cup plus an additional tablespoon for sprinkling.
- Cornstarch and Water- This is an eggless cake so this mixture helps bind everything together.
- Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non-dairy, use a dairy-free milk of your choosing.
- White Vinegar- It helps create our homemade buttermilk.
- Fresh Blueberries- 2 cups washed and picked over blueberries.
- Lemon Zest- Gives the cake that nice little tang.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make these into a Vegan Gluten Free Cake
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure the brand of sugar you use is vegan.
- Only use a non-dairy milk.
- Read the label on your chocolate chips to ensure they’re gluten free, nut free and vegan.
For All Purpose Flour
- Use 1 ½ packed cups of AP flour (252 grams).
- Only use ⅓ cup milk mixed with 1 teaspoon white vinegar.
This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Gluten Free Olive Oil Cake
Here are the steps to make this easy gluten-free olive oil cake!
Step 1: Make the Homemade Buttermilk
Measure out the milk and stir in the white vinegar. Let sit for 5-10 min then stir again. The milk will appear chunky; that’s normal.
Step 2: Zest the Lemon
Wash and dry the lemon. Zest it; you should have 1 tablespoon of unpacked lemon zest. Set aside.
Step 3: Whisk Together The Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder and kosher salt.
Step 4: Make the Cornstarch Water
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
Step 5: Whisk in Wet Ingredients and Sugar
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch water mixture, the homemade buttermilk, lemon zest and 1 cup of granulated sugar.
Step 6: Whisk in the Olive Oil
Then slowly whisk the olive oil into the other wet ingredients, a little at a time, until it is fully incorporated.
Step 7: Add in the Dry Ingredients and Blueberries
Once combined, using a whisk, slowly add in the dry ingredients, a little at a time, until just combined.
Next, toss 1.5 cups of blueberries in ½ tablespoon flour.
Then using the spatula, gently fold in 1.5 cups of blueberries. Try not to break them.
Step 8: Scoop the Batter and Arrange the Blueberries and Sprinkle Sugar
Scoop the batter in a greased and parchment lined 9 inch cake pan; smooth the top with a butter knife.
Then gently press the remaining ½ cup blueberries into the top of the batter.
Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the entire top of the cake, covering the blueberries.
Step 9: Bake and Cool
Bake the cake in the center rack at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 64 minutes until the cake is golden on top, springs back at you when carefully touched or when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool completely in the pan.
Step 10: Dust with Confectioners' Sugar
Once the cake is completely cool, dust with the confectioners’ sugar!
Expert Baking Tips
- Pick Over The Blueberries- Simply go through the blueberries to make sure none are moldy or crushed. You want beautiful round fresh berries for the cake.
- Make the Homemade Buttermilk- Measure out the ½ cup of the milk of choice. Add in one ½ tablespoon of white vinegar and stir to combine. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then stir again. It will appear chunky and that’s normal.
- Use Packed Cups of Flour- Normally in baking we do not use packed cups however, when working with gluten free, I've found using packed cups works best to help the baked goods keep their shape. For this recipe use packed cups or the gram amount: (294 grams).
- Use a Spatula to get the Batter into the Cake Pan- The batter is super thick and sticky. Getting it evenly in the cake pan can be a bit of a challenge. I use a butter knife to do this. Sometimes using clean hands can help press it in place as well.
- Smooth the Batter- Many gluten free batters have a way of staying exactly as they are placed, when baked. When the batter is in the cake pan, gently smooth the top with a butter knife or icing spatula prior to baking.
- Cool the Cake- Make sure the cake has almost completely cooled prior to removing it from the cake pan. If you do not wait, the cake will break apart into a giant mess when trying to remove it.
Recipe FAQs
This olive oil cake is super soft and best the first day.
If you have to make it ahead of time, once cool, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not top it with confectioners' sugar until ready to eat.
Yes, this recipe is for a 9 inch cake pan and has not been tested with any other size.
No. The frozen blueberries have way too much moisture and would turn the batter a blue/green.
Once the olive oil is cut into, cut the entire cake into slices, wrap each slice in foil. Try to create a teepee with the top of the foil so it isn't touching the confectioners' sugar as much.
Pop the slices in a zip top bag and freeze for up to 30 days.
To defrost, take out of the freezer and leave at room temperature until soft; about 2 hours. If desired, warm each slice in the microwave for 5-10 seconds prior to eating. Be careful not to burn your mouth.
Freeze the slices even if you're eating them the next day. Storing the cake at room temperature causes the confectioners' sugar get very wet and freezing helps prevent this and also keeps the cake itself soft.
More Easy Cake Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk
- ½ tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
- 1.5 cups plus ½ tablespoon multipurpose gluten free flour (I use Cup4Cup gluten free multipurpose flour which contains xanthan gum) (reserve ½ tablespoon to toss with 1.5 cups blueberries)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 rounded tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water
- 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon more for sprinkling (reserve the 1 tablespoon)
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups fresh blueberries (reserve ½ cup for the top of the cake)
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar for dusting (for dusting)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9 inch cake pan with vegetable oil. Line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment paper as well. Set aside.
- Measure out ½ cup of milk. Add in ½ tablespoon of white vinegar and mix together with a spoon. Let sit 5-10 min. The milk will appear chunky and that’s supposed to happen. Stir again.
- Wash and dry the 1 lemon. Zest the lemon (you need 1 unpacked tablespoon of zest) and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the 1.5 cups gluten free flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the 2 rounded tablespoons cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch water mixture, the homemade buttermilk, lemon zest and 1 cup of granulated sugar.
- Slowly whisk the ¾ cup olive oil into the other wet ingredients, a little at a time, until it is fully incorporated.
- Once combined, using a whisk, slowly add in the dry ingredients, a little at a time, until just combined.
- Take the 1.5 cups of blueberries and gently toss them in ½ tablespoon of gluten free flour.Then using a spatula, gently and carefully fold them into the batter, trying not to break them.
- Scoop the batter in a greased and parchment lined 9 inch cake pan; smooth the top with a butter knife.Gently press the remaining ½ cup blueberries into the top of the batter.Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar over the entire top of the cake, covering the blueberries.
- Bake the cake in the center rack at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 64 minutes until the cake is golden on top, springs back at you when carefully touched or when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.Let cool completely in the pan.
- Once the cake is completely cool, dust with the confectioners’ sugar! Enjoy!
john says
A nice, light and sweet cake without all the fuss!