Sweet Treats Lemon Olive Oil Mini Cakes Bursting with Provencal Flavour
Cakes & Cookies · Dessert · Martine Bertin-Peterson · Provencal Recipes · TasteThis dessert will appeal to the citrus lover. I prepared these Lemon Olive Oil Mini Cakes as individual servings. You can, of course, make the same batter and bake as a single large cake. Personally, I love this recipe as it combines the flavours of Provence in one tiny (delightful) package – lemons, thyme, olive oil.
It’s a sweet finish to a summer meal.
Bonne dégustation!

Lemon Olive Oil Mini Cakes
This recipe is easy and delicious. The combination of tangy-sweet will convert even the non-dessert lover.
Ingredients
For the Cakes:
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp Grated Lemon Zest (from 2 lemons)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup milk, whole
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh thyme finely minced + plus sprigs for garnish
For the Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- Fresh Strawberries for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the cakes:
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees.
- Brush a 6- or 12-cup mini Bundt or muffin pan with the melted butter. Lightly dust with flour and shake out the excess.
- Pulse the granulated sugar and lemon zest in a blender until combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, then gradually pour in the olive oil and milk, pulsing until emulsified into a thin batter, about 30 seconds. NOTE: Don't over-blend or the cakes will be too puffy.
- Whisk 1 cup flour, the baking powder, salt and 1 teaspoon thyme in a small bowl.
- Add to the blender in 2 batches, pulsing lightly until just combined; stop to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until the cakes just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and spring back when lightly touched, 28 to 30 minutes for a 6-cup Bundt pan and 22 to 25 minutes for a 12-cup Bundt or muffin pan.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the sides with a small knife and invert the cakes onto a rack.
Meanwhile, prepare the glaze:
- Whisk the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and butter until smooth, adding more lemon juice if the mixture is too thick.
- Drizzle over the warm cakes and garnish with thyme sprigs and strawberries (or other seasonal berries).
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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