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Try our easy-to-make Orange Olive Oil Cake with a light, fine textured, luscious crumb and a crackly sugar topping for added sweetness.
Have you ever wondered about making an olive oil cake but was afraid you’d be wasting your time and money? I suggest you start with this recipe because I’m pretty positive you won’t believe how delicious it is. With hints of fresh, sweet orange juice and plenty of orange zest for added zing, this cake may just be a new favorite in your house!
Can you taste olive oil in this cake?
Good quality extra-virgin olive oil typically has a fruity flavor and rich a buttery finish. When baked into a cake the flavors of the oil are very subtle and not really discernible. This olive oil cake is not greasy or oily and is surprisingly most, light and airy. The texture is more like a super light hybrid pound cake without the pound of butter! So if you’ve been on the fence about olive oil cakes, jump on over and give this recipe a try. Be sure to buy good quality extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor. Check the label on the olive oil bottles to ensure it’s not mixed with other vegetables oils. This is more common than you’d think so read labels!
We used Cara Cara oranges for this cake but any variety works well.
Olive oil and oranges are the perfect pair, especially in this lightly sweet simple cake. Cara Cara oranges have a red-tinted flesh and are an early to mid-season variety of Naval oranges. Cara Cara’s are sweeter than regular Naval oranges and have lower acidity. They also contain 20 percent more vitamin C, and 30 percent more vitamin A than regular Naval oranges. But no worries, just use whatever oranges you have on hand! I don’t recommend substituting lemon juice in this recipe as it was not developed with that much acidity in mind. You may need to add baking soda if using lemon juice to get the proper rise.
Olive oil has many health benefits supported by scientific research.
According to Healthline there are many proven reasons to add more olive oil to your daily diet:
- Olive oil is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats which can help prevent strokes, protect against heart disease, and may help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.
- Olive oil contains large amounts of antioxidants which helps prevent chronic disease.
- Extra-Virgin olive oil can help reduce inflammation which is believed to be a leading cause of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, arthritis and even obesity.
- Studies show that consuming olive oil does not appear to increase the possibility of weight gain. Moderate intake may even aid weight loss – think Mediterranean diet!
- Due to the powerful antioxidants found in extra-virgin olive oil, it benefits your heart, brain, joints and more!
Baking with extra-virgin olive oil makes perfect sense!
Two tablespoons of sugar are sprinkled on top before baking creating a crackly, sweet crust adding a nice touch of sweetness.
You won’t need to drizzle, ice, adorn or top this olive oil cake with anything! Just slice and serve for breakfast, brunch, lunch, an afternoon snack or dessert. The cake keeps well for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. The crispy top may soften a bit, but it’s still delicious and travels well. Enjoy!
Thanks for PINNING!
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Orange Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- zest from 2 oranges, preferably organic
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, good quality
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, strained (2-3 oranges)
- 2 tablespoons coarse or granulated sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Invert the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan (to make it easier to slide the cake off the bottothen lock on the sides of the pan. Lightly grease and flour the bottom and sides of the pan. Place foil or a baking sheet below the oven rack to catch drips if your springform pan doesn’t seal well.
- In a small bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
- Fit a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip the eggs on medium speed until foamy. Add the granulated sugar and orange zest and whip on high speed until the mixture is fluffy and pale in color, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, and with the mixer running, slowly add the olive oil. Mix until the oil is completely incorporated.
- Add half the flour mixture and mix on low speed until blended. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the milk and orange juice and mix on low until blended. Add the remaining flour and mix just until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle 2 tablespoons coarse sugar on top. Bake in preheated 325F oven for 60-70 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
- Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before removing the sides. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm. Cool completely for clean slices.
Recipe Notes
- When baking in an 8-inch springform pan we use a lower oven temperature (325F) for a longer period of time to ensure the middle of cake bakes evenly. There’s nothing worse than a cake with overdone crispy sides and raw batter in the middle! If baking in a 9-inch springform pan, bake at 350F at noted below.
- Use a 9-inch springform pan if desired. Bake at 350F for 45 to 55 minutes.
Here are a few more orange recipes you might also like:
A ray of sunshine on a plate – moist and tender Orange Marmalade Cake. Click HERE to get the recipe.
Cranberry Orange Muffins – made with tart cranberries, fresh squeezed orange juice and bright orange zest folded into a wonderfully moist, rich sour cream batter. Click HERE to get the recipe.
This Orange Barbecue Grilled Chicken Recipe is deliciously different and a breeze to throw together in a flash. We love the bright orange flavor and the hint of ginger and pineapple juice in the sauce. It’s lip smacking good! Click HERE to get the recipe.
Finally, check out these Orange Dream Bars from Crazy for Crust – they look so creamy and delicious! And I’m absolutely drooling over this beautiful Orange Blossom Bundt Cake from Sue at The View from Great Island.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Tricia
Debby says
Can I use a sugar substitute like Swerve, I generally bake with a Gluten free flour baking mix will this effect the cake any ?
Tricia Buice says
Hi Debby. I haven’t tried this recipe with artificial sweeteners so I’m not sure how it will react. If you’ve had good baking experiences with Swerve, then I say give it a go. Good luck and please let us know if this works for you!
Lynda says
This orange cake looks delicious. My questions are can I use a small bundtelectric cake maker that bakes all cakes in only 15 minutes. I have used this too make other cakes successfully in the past and how much of the sugar can I leave out and still have a sweet cake. Thx for this recipe.
Tricia Buice says
Hi Lynda. I’ve never used a bundtelectric but it sounds interesting! I would not leave out too much sugar as the olive oil needs sweetening. Try omitting 1/4 cup of sugar and see how it goes. Enjoy!
Dan says
Delicious! Not too sweet, so I could eat a slice with my morning coffee guilt free ?
I used an 8″ cake pan (I don’t have a small springform), greased and floured with parchment on the bottom.
Next time I’ll zest at least one additional orange to boost the flavor, but otherwise no changes at all!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Dan! What a great way to start the day. Extra orange zest sounds perfect. Thank you for trying the recipe and for commenting.
Susan says
I have made orange olive oil cakes but this one is absolutely the best, I used blood orange infused olive oil & it turned out great; so simple and delicious!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks for the feedback Susan! So glad this worked out for you. I’ll have to look for blood orange infused olive oil – it sounds fantastic. That extra orange punch of flavor must be terrific. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Jennifer says
The recipe looks very easy to follow so U decided to bake it for my father-in-law’s birthday! Can’t wait to try it ? my kitchen smells like orange ?! I love the way the sugar crumbles on top! No need for any sort of icing. For a novice baker like me, this is sure to impress the biggest critics — my whole family ❤️
Thank you for such an awesome recipe!
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Jennifer! Enjoy 🙂
C Forte says
I am an experienced baker who made this cake and followed this recipe , the flavour was great but was not cooked in the middle , if I make it again I will not use olive oil.
Tricia Buice says
Thanks for the feedback. Be sure to check your oven and make sure it is cooking properly. You can purchase an inexpensive oven thermometer on Amazon. I’m sure this cake would be great with vegetable oil too. Enjoy!
Susan says
Absolutely gorgeous and I can taste it now!
Tricia Buice says
Thank you! This is a keeper 🙂
Sakisha says
If only have cake flour and bread flour, do you think the cake flour will work? I want to try this cake with cardamom. Thanks in advance!
Tricia Buice says
Hi Sakisha – I think the cake flour will be great in this cake. I love the addition of cardamom and hope you enjoy!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I’ve made olive oil cakes before and as you said, they are great. I like the beautiful crackly crust on your cake. I would be delicious served with fresh fruit at an outdoor dinner party. Pinned and can’t wait to serve to friends.
Tricia Buice says
I hope you’ll try it Karen – it’s a keeper and would be lovely with fresh fruit. Enjoy and thanks so much!
handmade by amalia says
We can still find the last oranges of the season in the market and I’m tempted to make this beautiful cake. It looks so light and moist and delicious. Thanks for sharing, dear Tricia.
Amalia
xo
Tricia Buice says
Hello Amalia! Great to hear from you. Hope you are well. This cake is a keeper and I couldn’t be happier with the way it turns out. Hope you’ll give it a try! Thanks for stopping by.
sue | the view from great island says
The cake looks delightful, I can’t believe how TALL it is! I’ve actually never baked with olive oil, I feel like I have a lot to catch up on…pinning!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Sue – I had my first olive oil cake in Greece and had to recreate it ASAP! Love it 🙂
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
Oh my goodness! Such a perfect orange cake and I can’t stop staring at that crackly crust. Adding this to my baking list right now 🙂
Tricia Buice says
Thank you so much Jennifer! Bet you’re going to love it 🙂
angiesrecipes says
What a gorgeous cake! The texture, flavour and the colour…absolutely heavenly with that sweet crust :-))
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Angie. Everybody loves it!
Chris Scheuer says
This cake is stunning, Tricia. It looks like something from a fine bakery. I love that crisp sugar topping!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Chris! The crunchy top is devine 🙂