Easy Olive Oil Cupcakes

Olive oil cupcakes have a soft and tender crumb thanks to olive oil and buttermilk.  They are not overly sweet and are topped with a light mascarpone frosting. Perfect for any celebration!

Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

These tender olive oil cupcakes are like many European desserts in that they are sweet, but not overly sweet and really showcase the olive oil flavor, which balances nicely with the almond flour. There is no butter in this recipe and you won't miss it!

As a busy mama and lifetime baker, I have been making cupcakes for decades. I have loads of tips and helpful information to help you make cupcakes that look as good as they taste, like these chocolate chip cupcakes or raspberry cupcakes.

💗 why you will love these cupcakes with olive oil 

• Yields 12 cupcakes ~ no need for an extra muffin pan!
• Quick and easy to make ~ the from scratch batter comes together quickly in one bowl. No mixer needed for the cupcakes. 
• Simple ingredients ~ made without cake flour, I bet you've got all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.
• No butter frosting ~ a whipped mascarpone frosting adds a light topping to the cupcakes.

💭 what is the best olive oil to use in baking?

Use an olive oil that has a flavor you enjoy.  I recommend an extra virgin olive oil to add richness and moisture to these homemade cupcakes. Mr. two sugar bugs and I are huge fans of Oliviers & Co olive oils, but it is spendy. Graza also makes great olive oils at a much more affordable price.

🧁 ingredients and substitutions

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

All-purpose flour ~ adds structure. If not using a kitchen scale, be sure to use the spoon and level method. {Fluff the flour in the container, then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife}.

Almond flour ~ brings some texture and flavor to the cupcakes.  Use your favorite brand.

Baking powder ~ adds some height to the cupcakes.

Kosher salt ~ helps to balance the flavors. 

Granulated sugar ~ for a little sweetness and for a little moisture. This cupcake recipe has a more European level of sweet, which balances really nicely with the olive oil and almond flour. 

Eggs ~ 2 large eggs needed. Having the eggs at room temperature will provide the best results.

Vanilla ~ adds a nice burst of flavor to the cupcakes. For the best olive oil cupcakes, use a pure vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract.

Buttermilk ~ brings moisture to the baked cupcakes. Having the buttermilk at room temperature will give you the best cupcakes.  I prefer store bought, but you can make your own; see the recipe card notes below.  Substitute a non-dairy buttermilk if you need a dairy free cupcake.

Olive oil ~ I use extra virgin olive oil.  The olive oil flavor does come through in the finished cupcakes, so use a brand with a flavor you like.

Mascarpone cheese, whipping cream and confectioners' sugar {not shown} ~ for the mascarpone frosting.

Pro tip ~ to quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl of warm tap water for 5-10 minutes.

🥣 how to make cupcakes without a mixer

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 12 well muffin/cupcake pan with liners. Set aside.

In a medium to large bowl add the granulated sugar, kosher salt, eggs and extra virgin olive oil and whisk for one minute, until fully combined and lighter in color.

Now add the almond flour and baking powder and mix with a spatula until fully combined.

Scrape the bowl and add the buttermilk and all-purpose flour and mix with the spatula until just combined. The batter is on the thick side.

Use about 2 generous tablespoons of batter {I use my favorite 30 scoop} into each cupcake liner. Each cavity should be about half full.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

For the mascarpone frosting: With a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer, beat the cold mascarpone cheese until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. In a separate bowl, add the cold whipping cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla bean paste and beat on medium until soft peaks, about 2-3 minutes.

Then add in the softened mascarpone cheese and beat on medium until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute more. Spoon or pipe the mascarpone frosting on the cupcakes.

Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.

💬 frequently asked questions

how do you quickly cool cupcakes?

I tend to be impatient and don't want to wait around for my cupcakes to cool before I can decorate them. Once the cupcakes have finished baking, let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then move them to a wire cooling rack and let them cool another 5 minutes before placing them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

can you freeze the mascarpone frosting?

Yes!  This mascarpone frosting freezes well.  Allow the frosted cupcakes to defrost in the refrigerator overnight or by setting them on the counter for about an hour {as long as your kitchen isn’t overly warm}.

can you make cupcakes ahead?

Yes! The freezer is your best friend when wanting to bake cupcakes ahead of time. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let the cupcakes defrost, then decorate them.

why are my cupcakes dry?

Dry cupcakes are often a result of too much flour or over baking. A kitchen scale will ensure that you have the correct amount of flour; this is the scale I use.

💡 variations

Lemon buttercream ~ lemon would be a fantastic pair with the almond flour and olive oil.  Use my easy lemon buttercream recipe.

Chocolate frosting ~ small batch chocolate swiss meringue buttercream or the chocolate fudge buttercream from my chocolate snack cake would both be great options.

Vanilla buttercream ~ my not-too-sweet American buttercream from my vanilla snack cake would pair nicely with these cupcakes with olive oil.

👩🏻‍🍳 tips for the best homemade cupcakes

Use room temperature ingredients for the best cupcakes using olive oil.

Weigh the ingredients by using a food scale to ensure you have the correct amounts.

Use a cookie scoop {I use a size 30} to evenly fill each liner.

Only fill the cupcake liners about half full of cupcake batter.

Don't over mix the batter. When cake and cupcake batter is over mixed, it creates a more dense cake crumb. We are going for fluffy and moist!

Use good liners. These Paper Chef liners are my very favorite and the only brand I use in my kitchen. {not sponsored, just a fan!}

For the best, moist and tender cupcakes, don't over bake them. Remove them from the oven when a toothpick or cake tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

Remember your oven is different than mine and baking times may vary slightly.

🫙 how to store

Store the olive oil cupcakes covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

They can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Allow to defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

The cupcakes tastes best at room temperature, so let them sit out for 30 minutes prior to serving. {although I've eaten many cold from the refrigerator too!}

Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Olive Oil Cupcakes. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

🍪 more easy cupcake recipes

• Vanilla Cupcakes
• Almond Joy Cupcakes
• Cinnamon Cupcakes

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!

📖 recipe

Easy Olive Oil Cupcakes

recipe created and tested by:

Tasia Harper

Olive oil cupcakes have a soft and tender crumb thanks to olive oil and buttermilk.  They are not overly sweet and are topped with a light mascarpone frosting. Perfect for any celebration!

5 from 2 votes

I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.

Print Recipe rate this recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Bake Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Cakes and Cupcakes

Cuisine American

Servings 12 cupcakes

Calories 253 kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Please note

When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

olive oil cupcakes

• ▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 110mL
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste*
• ▢ ½ cup almond flour 50g
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ⅓ cup buttermilk room temperature (80mL)
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (156g)

mascarpone frosting

• ▢ 4 ounces mascarpone cheese cold (113g)
• ▢ ½ cup heavy cream cold (120mL)
• ▢ ½ cup confectioners' sugar 60g
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste*

Instructions

 

for the olive oil cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 12 well muffin/cupcake pan with liners. Set aside.
• In a medium to large bowl add the granulated sugar (¾ cup/150g), kosher salt (½ teaspoon), eggs (2 large) and extra virgin olive oil (⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons/110mL) and whisk for one minute, until fully combined and lighter in color.
• Now add the almond flour (½ cup/50g) and baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons) and mix with a spatula until fully combined. Scrape the bowl and add the buttermilk (⅓ cup/80mL) and all-purpose flour (1 ¼ cups/156g) and mix with the spatula until just combined. The batter is on the thick side.
• Use about 2 generous tablespoons of batter (I use my favorite 30 scoop) into each cupcake liner. Each cavity should be about half full.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

for the mascarpone frosting

• With a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cold mascarpone cheese (4 ounces/113g) until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.
• In a separate bowl, add the cold whipping cream (½ cup/120mL), confectioners' sugar (½ cup/60g) and vanilla bean paste (1 ½ teaspoons). (switch to the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer, no need to clean the beaters if using a hand-held mixer) and beat on medium until soft peaks, about 2-3 minutes. Then add in the softened mascarpone cheese and beat on medium until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute more. 
• Spoon or pipe the mascarpone frosting on the cupcakes.

Notes

*vanilla bean paste can be substituted with pure vanilla extract.

I prefer using store-bought buttermilk, but if you find yourself without it you can make your own. Place 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in your measuring cup and add milk to equal ⅓ cup, stir and let stand until room temperature (about one hour). The milk will appear curdled.

The stabilized mascarpone frosting should be okay at room temperature for up to two hours (this time may be shorter in a hot environment).

The cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days. The olive oil cupcakes also freeze well for up to three months. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving. The cupcakes have the best taste and texture when served at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 182mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18g

The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Leave a comment and rating below! I love hearing from you!