Strawberry Lavender Lemon Swirl Olive Oil Cake

Strawberry Lavender Lemon Swirl Olive Oil Cake

Treat yourself or someone special with this Strawberry Lavender Lemon Swirl Cake with Pink Lemonade Buttercream. Featuring ingredients like Eat this Yum Strawberry Lavender Lemon Preserve and Cook's Vanilla Bean Paste from our Baker’s Pantry Box, it’s a sweet dessert that works for Valentine’s Day or a Galentine’s Day brunch. The cake is swirled with preserve and topped with soft pink buttercream for a simple, festive look.

Heart-shaped for Valentine’s Day or baked in a round pan, it’s easy to finish with fresh strawberries and edible flowers. The Baker’s Pantry Box offers unique ingredients to elevate your baking, making it a fun way to try new flavors and create a sweet treat for any occasion.

Prep Time: 30 min | Bake Time: 22–30 min (depending on pan type)

Ingredients

For the Olive Oil Cake:

  • 1¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil (we love Saratoga Olive Oil Co. Portuguese Cobrançosa Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp Cook’s Vanilla Bean Paste
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk 
  • ⅓ cup Eat This Yum Strawberry Lavender Lemon Preserve

For the Pink Lemonade Buttercream:

  • ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar (reduced from 1½ cups)
  • 2–3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (more acidity = less perceived sweetness)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1–2 tbsp heavy cream or milk, as needed
  • Pinch of salt (this matters!)
  • Supernatural Plant-Based Food Color (red or pink), to desired shade

Decoration Ideas:

  • Fresh strawberries, halved or sliced
  • Edible flowers (lavender buds, rose petals, pansies, chamomile)

Instructions

1. Prep

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • Grease a 8-inch heart-shaped or round cake pan. 

2. Make the Batter

  1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk sugar and olive oil until smooth and glossy.
  3. Whisk in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla bean paste and lemon zest.
  4. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix just until combined—don’t overmix.

3. Swirl

  1. Pour half the batter into the pan.
  2. Spoon half the preserve over the batter.
  3. Add remaining batter, then dollop the rest of the preserve on top.
  4. Gently swirl with a knife or skewer.

4. Bake

  • Round pan: 22–28 minutes | Heart-shaped pan: 25–30 minutes
  • Check early - olive oil cakes stay moist and shouldn’t be over-baked. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs.
  • Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely before frosting.

5. Make the Pink Lemonade Buttercream

  1. Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar.
  2. Mix in lemon juice, lemon zest, and a little milk if needed.
  3. Add plant-based food coloring drop by drop until soft pink.

6. Frost and Decorate

  1. Spread a smooth layer of buttercream over cooled cake. (Option to slice the top of cake if domed to create a flat surface to work on.)
  2. Decorate with halved or sliced strawberries.
  3. Optional: sprinkle edible flowers.

Foodie Box Loves Notes & Tips

  • Cool your cake completely before icing and decorating.  
  • To cut a heart shaped cake, slice first vertically down the center and then cut horizontally into slices. The rounded top can be cut in half for smaller pieces, if desired. 
  • Bake a layer cake by doubling the cake recipe. Swirl in preserves as directed or use it as a filling for cake instead. Double the buttercream recipe (or triple if you want to do any piping work).
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