Olive Oil Lemon Loaf Cake with Basil and Pomegranate

A little twist to the traditional lemon cake. Spruce up your holiday table and serve this olive oil lemon cake with basil and pomegranate. Find more of my pomegranate recipes.

When it comes to gift-giving, I tend to be a procrastinator. I know some people have all of their holiday gift shopping done way before November rolls in. I am definitely NOT one of those people.

When my kids were little and they didn’t pay too close attention to the latest and greatest toys out there, it was easy. But now, even for family and friends, I’m finding myself dreading the holiday shopping.

I always tell my husband, when it comes to gifts, it’s about the thought behind the gift, not the gift itself. So for me, I like to give (and receive) homemade gifts. Edible gifts are my favorite!

Why this recipe is so awesome

Since I wrote a cookbook all about cooking with extra virgin olive oil, I’m obviously a big fan of that green stuff! I fry with olive oil and cook with olive oil all the time. I even shared with you cocktails with olive oil. But my favorite method, by far, is to bake with olive oil.

I have already shared with you my recipe for vanilla olive oil cake. This is a standard vanilla cake that I use for my kids birthdays.

It might sound strange, but adding herbs to desserts is not at all unheard of. And I’m talking about going beyond mint. I have an apricot galette made with thyme and a grape upside down cake made with rosemary. So for this olive oil lemon cake, I chose to use basil.

Lemon and basil pair so well together so that was an easy addition to the flavors. You can enjoy this cake alone or drizzle the lemon glaze over it. I garnished my olive oil lemon cake with more of winter’s colors and flavors: pomegranate arils, chopped pistachios, lemon zest and even some more fresh basil.

I think it turned out gorgeous and delicious. What do you think?

Ingredients you need

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• Extra virgin olive oil: I bake almost exclusively with olive oil. Choose a mild flavored oil and NOT a peppery one. You can also use a lemon infused olive oil for more lemony flavor.
• Greek yogurt: Baking with yogurt yields a very moist muffin. If you do not have plain yogurt, use sour cream.
• Eggs: When it comes to baking, it is standard to use large eggs.
• Lemons: You will use the juice and zest from lemons, both in the cake, in the icing and as a garnish.
• Fresh basil: You can also use fresh mint or rosemary. Fresh has more flavor and impact than dried, so please try to find fresh herbs.
• Garnish: Pomegranate arils and pistachios
• Pantry staples: All purpose flour, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt

Step-by-step directions

1. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, yogurt, olive oil, ¼ cup lemon juice, lemon zest, and eggs until combined.

3. In batches, mix flour mixture into yogurt mixture and stir until combined.

4. Stir in ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil and then pour mixture into a 9-inch round cake pan or a 9-inch loaf pan coated with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment or waxed paper.

5. Place the cake in the oven at 350ºF and cook for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. Place the cake on a cooling rack, and let it cool for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

7. For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar with 2 teaspoon lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle glaze over the cake prior to serving. Garnish cake with pomegranate arils, 1 TBS finely chopped pistachios and ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil.

Recipe tips and FAQs

I have made this olive oil lemon cake in many forms over the years. The cake below was made for The Professor and his friends before they headed off to homecoming. I added lemon juice and lemon zest to simple buttercream frosting and it turned out heavenly! Such a delicious and sophisticated cake for everyone to enjoy!

Want more lemony desserts? My family absolutely adores my blueberry lemon bars. You should also try my buttery lemon tea cake, which is equally delightful.

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

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