Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, salt and lemon zest. Use your hands to mix the sugar, salt and lemon zest until the sugar feels slightly wet with the oils from the zest.

To the zest, sugar and salt, add the olive oil and whisk to combine until you have a wet sand-like mixture. Then add the milk and whisk to incorporate.

Add the vanilla and eggs. Whisk together until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in the flour and baking powder until just combined. Then give it another 20 stirs or so, until you have a thick pancake batter-type mixture.

Spray your preferred baking pan with cooking spray.

Pour the batter evenly into the baking pan(s). If you're going all cupcakes, spray the cupcake tin with cooking spray.

This amount of batter yielded 2 6-inch rounds and 6 cupcakes. Bake the rounds first for 30-35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minutes.

While the cakes are baking, stir or whisk together the honey and lemon juice until the honey is well incorporated and dissolved in the lemon juice.

When the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then invert the cake onto the wire rack, letting it sit upside down. Poke holes in the bottom with a wooden skewer and brush the honey lemon mixture over the bottoms of the cake. Do the same for the cupcakes. You want to do this while the cakes are still warm.

After brushing the honey lemon mixture on the bottoms of the cakes, let them cool upside down until they are completely cool, 1-3 hours. Once they are completely cool, you can move on to the frosting. Or you can do what I did; which was to wrap each cake and cupcake in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to frost the next day.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

If you opted to frost the next day, take the cakes out of the fridge and let them sit on the counter while you make the frosting.

Combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, salt and the zest in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high until smooth, about 30 seconds. Then add the butter and beat on high until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed. Then, reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar, one large spoonful at a time. Once all of the powdered sure is incorporated, switch to high speed and beat until fluffy. About 2 minutes.

Frosting the Cake

If you are making a layer cake, we will slice the domed tops off the cakes so you have a flat surface. Invert the cake onto a plate or cake stand so the flat, cut side is down.

Now you have the flat bottom to frost. Spread about 3/4 cup of frosting on the cake surface – use enough frosting to make a thick layer. Be sure to spread it evenly, to the edges. Now, pop it in the fridge, uncovered, for 30 minutes to let the frosting stiffen up a bit.

After 30 minutes, pull the frosted bottom half of the cake out of the fridge and repeat cutting the domed top off the second cake.

Then take the cut cake and invert it (so the cut side is on the frosting) on top of the frosted bottom of the cake.

Now, use a silicone spatula to scoop and pour on about 1 cup, or so of frosting on the top the cake. Then use an offset spatula to smooth and spread the frosting out across the top. Let the excess drip down the sides and use that dripping momentum to spread the frosting down the sides to create a thin coat of frosting. Pop the cake back in the fridge for another half hour.

For the final frosting layer, use the same method as before: Scoop or pour the frosting on the the top and smooth it our toward the sides, letting the overflow drip down. Use the offset spatula to spread and smooth the drips along the sides. Refrigerate the frosted cake for 30 minutes before decorating and serving.

Decorate the cake and/or cupcakes as desired.