Summer is in full swing and I bring you… a cake recipe. I know, turning on the oven some days during the season is the last thing anyone wants to do, but this recipe is the exception. I’m a bit of sweets fiend, and my day is incomplete without a little treat. But when it comes to summer desserts, I’m less about all things chocolate (shocking, I know) and more about light and bright flavors that celebrate the season while also being easy to pull together. This strawberry olive oil cake recipe checks all of those boxes and more.

With sweet summer strawberries, zesty lemon, a crunchy crumble topping, and a delicious cake base upgraded with the texture of cornmeal, this cake recipe is like if a coffee cake and strawberry shortcake had a baby. (Said differently: it’s delicious.)

I’m sharing all my cake-baking tricks and a few recipe notes below. Gather up your ingredients and let’s get baking!

Ingredients for Strawberry Olive Oil Cake

You probably have most of the ingredients on hand for this cake in your pantry already, but there are a few extras that’ll take it to the next level.

• Granulated sugar. The base of our sweet treat.
• Lemon zest. Rubbed into the sugar, it releases all that magical citrusy flavor.
• Olive oil. Use the good stuff—trust me, you’ll taste it.
• Eggs and egg yolk. The extra egg yolk helps add extra moisture to this recipe.
• Greek yogurt. I’ve made this with low-fat skyr and it works just fine, but you can also use full-fat.
• Flour. All-purpose is perfect.
• Baking powder. To help our cake rise.
• Salt. No baked good is complete without it.
• Strawberries. This cake’s pièce de résistance—and what solidifies it as a summer-coded treat.

Tips for Baking

Having tested this recipe quite a few times, I’ve picked up a few notes along the way.

• Rub your lemon zest into the sugar. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until it becomes sandy in texture and the lemon is fragrant. This is the best way to get the most flavor.
• Pulse the polenta in the food processor. I like the little crunch that the polenta adds to the cake, but to ensure that I don’t end up with cornmeal pieces that are too large, I like to pulse the cornmeal in the food processor a few times to ensure it blends easily into the batter.
• Thinly slice the strawberries. I usually have qualms with fruits in cakes. They always end up soggy and making the batter soggy as well. By thinly slicing the strawberries and adding them to the top, they retain their bright flavor without adding extra moisture to the batter.
• Salt. Please add salt to your desserts. I’m begging. A pinch sprinkled into the crumble topping and incorporated into the batter elevates all the flavors.

How to Serve Strawberry Olive Oil Cake

After the cake is out of the oven, let it cool completely. Hard, I know. Once cooled, give the cake a little shake of granulated sugar. It makes everything look extra pretty and café-worthy. You can also pile freshly chopped strawberries or spoon strawberry jam on top to lean into the flavor. I also like to serve this cake alongside some freshly whipped vanilla cream or a scoop of ice cream. Pro tip: It also makes a delicious breakfast the next day served alongside a cup of coffee.

Store the cake in an airtight container on the counter for up to two days. But you’ll be lucky if it lasts that long. Keep scrolling for the recipe!

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