Orange Olive Oil Cake

A few years ago, two friends from my culinary school days came to visit me for the weekend. In preparation for my house guests, I deep cleaned, bought fresh flowers and baked an orange olive oil cake.

While my friends were still a few hours away, I decided that no one would mind if I tried a slice of the cake. Quality control, right? Well, that was a huge mistake, because I fell in love.

The cake was tender and soft, the presence of orange was playful and bright with the fruity olive oil, and there was just enough sugar to impart a hint of sweetness without a full-blown sugar rush—the marker of a true snacking cake. One slice turned into two, three, four. Before I knew it, half the cake was gone. And then my friends showed up.

I told them what happened. They laughed, then grabbed two forks and tried the cake for themselves. Laughter turned into shock, and I was jokingly berated all weekend for barely saving them “the best cake in existence.”

Every reunion weekend after that, my friends have requested the cake—with no slices taken out beforehand. And, yes, I learned my lesson: Always bake a double batch of this orange olive oil cake recipe. One for them, one for me.

Ingredients for Orange Olive Oil Cake

• Eggs: You’ll need two large eggs to help bind the cake.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cake. Even if you’re in a pinch, don’t sub in brown sugar. The molasses flavor of brown sugar won’t mingle well with the orange and olive oil.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Splurge on the best olive oil since it’s a key ingredient in this orange olive oil cake recipe. Look for something fruity, floral, delicate and mild; stay away from any bold and spicy olive oils.
• Milk: We recommend 2% milk, but you can use any type of milk or cream for this olive oil orange cake. You could even substitute a thin yogurt for the milk!
• Oranges: Grate the orange first, then squeeze out the juices. It’s much easier to zest an intact orange than a juiced one.
• All-purpose flour: Measure your flour the right way so you don’t accidentally pack in too much. Too much flour can create a dense cake rather than a tender and soft one.
• Baking powder: We want to fluff up the cake only a tiny bit with 1 teaspoon baking powder.
• Confectioners’ sugar: This olive oil orange cake is ever so slightly sweetened—there is certainly no thick frosting. Instead, we lightly dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar for a touch of sweetness and a pretty presentation.

Directions

Step 1: Beat the wet ingredients

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Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a greased 8-inch round baking pan with parchment. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the eggs on high speed for three minutes.

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Gradually add the granulated sugar, beating until the mixture has thickened.

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Gradually beat in the olive oil, then beat in the milk, orange zest and orange juice until combined.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients

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In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.

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Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture just until combined.

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Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and use a mini offset spatula, a butter knife or the back of a spoon to spread the batter evenly.

Step 3: Bake the cake

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Bake the olive oil cake with orange until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cake completely to room temperature in the pan. Then, take the cake out of the pan and remove the parchment.

Step 4: Serve the olive oil orange cake

Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and cut slices for serving. Enjoy!

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Recipe Variations

• Swap the citrus: Instead of orange, use lemon or grapefruit. Keep in mind, though, that those two citrus fruits are a bit more sour than an orange.
• Add a dash of cardamom: Orange and cardamom are a gorgeous flavor match. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cardamom into the batter for a piney, warming flavor in the cake.
• Finish with a glaze: Mix 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and just enough orange juice to reach your desired glaze consistency. Pour the glaze all over the room-temperature cake.

How to Store Orange Olive Oil Cake

Once your orange olive oil cake recipe has cooled to room temperature, you can either cover it with storage wrap or place it in an airtight container. I prefer to keep mine at room temperature, and it’ll stay fresh for up to three days. You could extend its shelf life, though, and store the cake in the fridge for up to five days.

Can you freeze orange olive oil cake?

Yes, you can freeze this cake. Once it has cooled completely to room temperature, wrap it tightly in a layer of storage wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Or, transfer the cake to an airtight container. This cake can be kept frozen for up to two months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge or for an hour at room temperature.

Orange Olive Oil Cake Tips

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What should I serve with orange olive oil cake?

You can serve your cake with confectioners’ sugar, sweetened whipped cream (homemade is best), fresh berries and vanilla yogurt. I love to take the cake up a notch and serve it with supreme-cut oranges. To do this, shave off the orange peel using a sharp chef’s knife until the flesh is exposed, then use the chef’s knife to cut out orange segments while the orange is still intact. You’ll be left with orange segments that don’t have the white film or the skin on them. It’s a professional-looking decoration!

Why use olive oil in a cake?

There are several different reasons to use olive oil in cakes and other baked goods. Personally, my top reason is to introduce all those nuanced flavors that olive oil can hold, building fruity, floral notes in the cake. Bakers also like to use olive oil in cakes as a healthy butter substitute.

Can I bake orange olive oil cake in a different pan?

Absolutely! You can bake this olive oil orange cake in an 8-inch square pan or a 9-inch round baking pan. However, with either of these, the cake will be a little thinner since it has more surface area to cover, so it may be ready a few minutes earlier.