Sourdough Olive Oil Cake

Sharing is caring!

By Kristen on October 26, 2025

This sourdough olive oil cake is the perfect cake for a birthday or special occasion, or even for dessert during tea time with your children.

This moist cake with its fluffy texture has become one of our family’s favorite cakes to bake for birthday celebrations. Three of our daughters asked for it on their birthdays this year. 

Add some homegrown flowers for the perfect aesthetics! I grew the nasturtiums on this cake specifically for our younger daughter’s fourth birthday – it was the perfect combination.

Edible homegrown flower and herb options:

• Chamomile
• Nasturtium
• Pansy
• Borage
• Calendula 
• Rose
• Lavender
• Mint
• Lemon balm
• Thyme
• Rosemary

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups flour (organic, unbleached flour or flour of choice) 
• 1/2 cup coconut milk 
• 2 fresh eggs
• 1/2 cup sourdough discard 
• 1/2 cup organic olive oil 
• 3/4 cup organic raw sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

optional ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• citrus zest of choice (orange zest or lemon zest) 
• 2 tablespoons of citrus fruit juice (orange juice or lemon juice)

Buttercream Icing:

• 4 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 sticks of room-temperature butter
• 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

SUBSTITUTES 

• Olive Oil – can be substituted with avocado oil or coconut oil, although this will change the taste 
• Organic All-Purpose Flour – Bread flour or flour of choice
• Coconut Milk – Organic whole milk, raw milk, or milk of choice
• Sugar – coconut sugar or white sugar

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

• Medium & large mixing bowl with a whisk or stand mixer with paddle attachment 
• cake pan (round 9″ cake pan)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
• In a medium bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda)
• In a separate bowl or stand mixer, cream together your wet ingredients: coconut milk, eggs, sourdough starter, olive oil, and sugar. 
• Add your flour mixture to your wet olive oil mixture and combine well.

• Pour your cake batter into an oiled cake pan. 
• Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. (Prep icing while your cake is baking – see instructions below) Gently check the center of the cake to make sure it has fully baked with the cake tester of your choice. Let your cake cool.

• Once your cake has completely cooled, apply your icing with a piping bag. If you would like a completely flat top to your cake before icing, gently shave the top or center off with a sharp knife and even out your cake top. Apply your icing thickly on the top to keep any cake from breaking off into your icing. 
• Once your cake has completely cooled, move to the desired cake dish, platter, parchment paper, or wire rack, and apply your icing with a piping bag.

Instructions for Buttercream Icing:

• Cream room temperature butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment
• Mix in salt and slowly add 4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar until well combined, scraping down sides with a spatula 
• Continuing to use your paddle attachment, add heavy cream and vanilla extract. 
• Once well combined, add your icing to your piping bag and apply it to your cake 
• Add flowers, fruit, or lightly zest an orange or lemon over the icing. 

If you have leftovers, you can store the rest of the cake in an airtight container or a cake dish with a cake cover or plastic wrap.

Sharing is caring!