This olive oil cake heralds the spring season and warrants a place at your Passover or Easter table. It’s drenched with lemon, and it’s gluten-free, to boot.

Elegantly simple and refreshingly versatile, this cake is, in fact, welcome at any time of day, which makes it even more irresistible.

A key component to the recipe is a lemon simple syrup, which bathes the just-baked cake, accentuating its brightness and ensuring long-lasting moistness. You may be tempted (understandably) to dig in as soon as the cake is hot from the oven, but try to restrain yourself. Let it absorb the syrup and cool completely to develop its flavor.

Another ingredient of note is the cornmeal, which adds a unique and slightly crunchy texture to the cake, which is part of its appeal. The recipe specifies for medium-grind cornmeal, but if you prefer a softer texture, use a fine-grind cornmeal.

Serve the cake simply and unadorned, along with a cup of coffee or tea, or dress it up with a dollop of whipped cream and/or candied lemon peel. If serving with whipped cream, reserve 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cooled lemon syrup and add to the cream while whipping.

Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author and recipe developer based in Marin. Visit TasteFood at TasteFoodblog.com.