Orange Olive Oil Cake…O.M.Y. (Oh My Yum!)
A good friend generously coined this phrase after viewing one of my recent posts. It might be too casual a term to describe what I think is just a slightly sophisticated cake, but I’m going to use it because it’s exactly what I thought after taking my first bite.
The first time I had an olive oil cake, I was with my sister. We were in Santa Monica having lunch at True Food Kitchen. We had just discovered it on the last day of a trip; I loved the concept, the menu and the whole restaurant vibe.
They had lots of healthy and interesting food choices whether you were vegan, vegetarian, gluten free or a carnivore. We wanted to try everything but since that wasn’t feasible, we ordered a few different things to share between us.
And since lunch was so healthy…we ordered dessert (of course,) an olive oil cake (because that’s a healthy choice :) I thought it would be kind of herby and olive-y tasting, but no, it was a moist, delicious cake with just the slightest hint of olive oil flavor.
It was a perfect ending to a perfect meal. If we weren’t leaving the next day, we would have gone back to try more of the menu.
I have had an olive oil cake on my radar to make ever since. And last week, I made it happen with this Orange Olive Oil Cake. It’s been freezing here the past couple of weeks and I was in the mood for something that would conjure up images of a warm sunny place.
The hibiscus trees that we brought in for the winter are blooming like crazy, making my foyer feel a bit tropical even though it’s the middle of January. I thought this cake would be a perfect choice to brighten up a wintry day, and wow! Did it deliver!
The cake is full of orange flavor, super moist, a bit like a pound cake, but lighter and fluffier. When I was shooting it, the aroma of fresh cut oranges was intoxicating and a nice contrast to my snowy back yard visible just outside the frame of these shots.
It doesn’t need anything but a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a fork. Or not. It’s certainly sturdy enough to just pick up and take a bite.
So there you have it, a citrusy olive oil cake that’s as wonderful for dessert as it is for a snack or even a fun breakfast treat. Fresh squeezed orange juice, orange zest and a pinch of cardamom are such sunny, citrusy, flowery flavors.
I think it’s the perfect remedy for these arctic winter days. And in case you needed just one more reason to love olive oil…This cake?
definitely a good one.
Orange Olive Oil Cake
Orange Olive Oil Cake. A refreshingly light tasting yet very moist cake made with fresh squeezed orange juice, orange zest and your favorite mild olive oil
Ingredients
- zest from 1 1/2 oranges
- 3 or 4 oranges, or enough to squeeze 3/4 cup juice
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cups mild olive oil
- Confectioner's sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray. I also placed a round of parchment in the bottom and sprayed that as well to insure an easy release. Wrap the outside of the pan bottom in heavy duty foil to catch any possible leaks.
- Zest 1 and 1/2 oranges, then squeeze as many oranges as you need to yield 3/4 cups juice. This took exactly three oranges for me. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom (if using)
- Beat eggs on medium high until broken up and combined, about 1 minute.
- Slowly add the sugar and continue beating until light and pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
- On low speed, alternate adding your flour mixture and oil to the egg/sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. (1/3 flour, 1/2 oil, 1/3 flour, 1/2 oil, 1/3 flour) mixing until mostly combined after each addition.
- Add the orange juice and zest and mix carefully to incorporate as this mixture will splash. I usually pulse my stand mixer a few times (by turning to my lowest speed briefly a few times) to incorporate it then turn it to low to finish mixing.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. I covered my cake with foil, just lightly laying a piece on top of the pan, for the last 15 minutes as the top was getting brown and I didn't want it to brown further. My pan was deep enough so that the foil did not touch the top of the cake. If you think that it might be an issue, tent the foil to keep it away from the cake surface.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in pan, then remove ring around springform pan and allow to cool completely on a rack.
- Cover cake and let sit overnight. (See notes below)
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
*The original recipe states to let cake sit covered overnight for best flavor. I did this so I haven't experienced the difference between that and eating it right away. I suspect it's quite good the first day and simply gets better the next day much like brownies and banana bread.
*I used a simple mild olive oil, but you can experiment with other fruity or buttery olive oils. I would avoid any strong or peppery olive oils as this will affect the delicate flavors of this cake.
Adapted from Portugese Orange Olive Oil Cake
The Merchant Baker © 2015
Meggs
Saturday 25th of January 2025
So, I didn't have the same pan as you suggest. I had a dark-colored square pan. Mine came out more burnt than all get-out! I'm a very novice baker and didn't get discouraged as the flavor of what wasn't burnt was so tender and moist and delicious! I see you recommend to also use parchment... I've just purchased a bunch so I will try again! (Sidenote: I also scorched a frozen pizza after my cake disaster, which is unusual for me. I'm wondering if something got screwy with my oven? Things to investigate!) Thanks for the great recipe, can't wait to try it again.
Ramona
Tuesday 28th of January 2025
Hi Meggs, I'm happy that you were able to salvage even a bit of deliciousness that this cake is able to deliver. It sounds like you have a few potential issues. First, as you've mentioned, you're baking in a dark pan. Darker pans absorb heat more quickly. Second, it sounds like your oven runs hot. I would recommend picking up an oven thermometer. They aren't expensive. Place it into your oven where you can see the temperature through a window. Preheat your oven to 350, for example. See if your temperature reading matches your oven. So, if you're thermometer reading is 375, then you need to bring your oven temperature down to 325. Basically, you need to set your oven at whatever temperature gets the thermometer to read 350 or whatever your goal temperature is for your recipe. Make sure you're baking on the middle rack, so that you get even heat distribution. Finally, regardless of what a recipe says the time to bake is, I always check to see how it's baking halfway through. Then, if everything looks like it's progressing well, I'll check again maybe 5 minutes before the minimum time they suggest. So, if a recipe suggests that the bake time will be 35-45 minutes, I'll check in at 15 minutes, then again at 30. I hate overbaked, dry cakes, so I keep watch. Cakes can go from not done to overdone in a matter of minutes, especially as you're nearing the end of the baking time. I hope this helps and that you have great success the next time you try this recipe! Good luck and thanks for your feedback.
Raqietak
Thursday 18th of April 2024
This is our favorite cake. Quick, easy, and tasty. Even if you're a baking beginner, this cake is right for you. I've shared this recipe with anyone that tells me they are a cake lover.
Ramona
Thursday 18th of April 2024
Hi Raqietak, thank you so much for coming back to leave this lovely comment! It's such a delicious cake, you'd never know it was so easy to make!
Bonnie
Monday 6th of November 2023
Can I use a regular 9” round cake pan, Have you ever added orange slices in the bottom & then turned it out? Thx 🇨🇦
Ramona
Tuesday 7th of November 2023
Hi Bonnie! You can use a regular 9" cake pan but it should be 3"deep, not 2" to ensure that there's enough room for the cake to rise without overflowing. I've never baked this cake with orange slices on the bottom. If I did do that I would make a syrup to set them on top of. You could use the syrup recipe from my Pineapple Upside-down Cheesecake recipe, if you'd like to experiment. Good luck!
Cynthia
Saturday 3rd of June 2023
This cake is absolutely delicious and a favorite dessert in my family now. The only issue I have is that the top always “puckers” when the cake is cooling. It comes out of the oven looking round and taut, but as it cools, wrinkles appear. I cover that with the powdered sugar, and the cake tastes GREAT, but does anyone know why this happens?
Michelle
Saturday 16th of December 2023
@Ramona, When this has happened to me, I flip the cake over so the bottom, which is flat ,is the top of the cake. But I also find people love the imperfectness of a home made cake, and not everyone can make a cake at all, so yours is special.
Ramona
Monday 5th of June 2023
Hi Cynthia, I've never had that happen with this cake. There can be so many variables involved when baking a recipe that will lead to different results. Here's a link to some things that might cause the issue. Maybe it will help you troubleshoot and figure out what the problem is. I know there are a lot of reasons that this could be happening, but I hope this list helps you narrow it down so that you can have success the next time you bake it.
Anthea
Wednesday 26th of April 2023
Very moist and tasty cake and so healthy, thanks for sharing. Wish I could add the pic.
Ramona
Thursday 27th of April 2023
Hi Anthea, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the cake. I can just imagine how lovely it looked!