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Orange Olive Oil Cake

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A sliced orange olive oil cake on a platter with sliced oranges

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!

 

A big tall slice of Orange Olive Oil Cake with sliced Cara Cara oranges

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!

 

A tall slice or Orange Olive Oil cake with sliced Cara Cara oranges

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.

 

A sliced Orange Olive Oil Cake with a crispy crackly sugar top

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!

 

An overhead view of a sliced Orange Olive Oil Cake with sliced Cara Cara oranges

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!

 

 

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A slice of orange olive oil cake with a crispy crackly top

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4.8 from 5 votes

Orange Olive Oil Cake

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins
Yield: 8
Course: Cake, Dessert
Author: Tricia
PRINT RECIPE
With a light, fine textured, luscious crumb and a crackly sugar topping for added sweetness.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • zest from 2 oranges, preferably organic
  • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, good quality
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice, strained (2-3 oranges)
  • 2 tablespoons coarse or granulated sugar for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Invert the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan (to make it easier to slide the cake off the bottom, then 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 325°F 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.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 230mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 145IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg

Here are a few more orange recipes you might also like:

 

An overhead view of an orange marmalade cake

A ray of sunshine on a plate – moist and tender Orange Marmalade Cake. Click HERE to get the recipe.

 

Cranberry Orange Muffins on a cooling rack

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.

 

 

A platter of grilled Orange BBQ Chicken with pineapple and orange wedges

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

 

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32 Comments

    • 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!

      reply to this comment >

    • 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.

      reply to this comment >

  3. Dan says

    5 stars
    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!

    reply to this comment >

    • 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!

      reply to this comment >

  5. Jennifer says

    5 stars
    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!

    reply to this comment >

    • Sally says

      I am also an experienced baker, and every cake I’ve tried making using orange zest and/or juice has sunk in the middle, including the French yogurt orange cake with coriander from Milk Street. My oven temp is perfect, my baking powder is fresh, so I have no clue what’s wrong as I’ve never had this problem before. I’ll try this cake and see how it does because I just love the orange flavor.

      reply to this comment >