There’s no need for butter in this tender, flavorful cake. Instead, olive oil is the star of the show. Olive oil lends a moistness and tenderness to any dessert it’s added to, and this cake is no exception. In this recipe, the oil also amplifies the flavor profile: the orange and lemon play perfectly with the bright flavors of the olive oil. We also added almond flour to this cake for an added nutty flavor and extra-tender texture—we think it truly takes it over the top. For a simple but satisfying dessert, this citrus-spiked recipe truly takes the cake.
What People Are Saying:“Great recipe! Moist with a citrus sugar top that complimented the olive oil well.” OliveSnow
How To Make Olive Oil Cake
INGREDIENTS
-
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil is the hero ingredient of this cake! When buying olive oil, look for bottles that have dark-tinted glass, as that protects the oil from light. Try to avoid olive oil in plastic bottles for this recipe!
-
Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar gives this cake its sweetness while not overpowering the flavor of the olive oil.
-
Eggs: Eggs are crucial for binding the ingredients of this cake and helping the batter come together.
-
Orange & Lemon Zest: We love orange and lemon zest in this cake to add a bit of brightness and acidity that balances out the richness of the olive oil
-
Almond Extract: Almond extract is our favorite way to give this cake more depth in flavor and add a nutty, earthier tone.
-
Cake Flour: Cake flour makes sure that this cake has a tender, delicate crumb and is super light and fluffy.
-
Almond Flour: To add to the almond flavor, we used almond flour along with the cake flour. Almond flour also adds texture so that the crumb of the cake feels extra moist.
-
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: We used both baking powder and baking soda in this recipe to ensure that this cake gets both lift and a golden brown crust. Baking powder prevents the cake from becoming too heavy, while baking soda reacts to the acid from the lemon juice to help the cake rise and get a beautiful crust.
-
Kosher Salt: Even though this is a sweet cake, kosher salt is important for balancing out the sugars in this batter and helping the flavor of the olive oil come through.
-
Orange & Lemon Juice: Orange and lemon juice add even more acidity and tang to this batter that help the final product feel bright and delicious.
-
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is a must to top this cake. It looks beautiful and adds the perfect final touch of sweetness.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Before you get started on the batter, preheat your oven to 350º and grease a round cake pan with oil. Line the bottom with parchment, then grease the parchment with more oil. Dust it all over with granulated sugar. Tap the pan all over so that the sugar evenly coats the entire pan. This will give the cake a gorgeous golden brown crust.
Corey Florin
(Corey Florin)
Use a hand mixer to beat the eggs, orange and lemon zest, and granulated sugar until pale. This will take about 3-5 minutes, so be patient! You will know it’s done when the mixture trails off in ribbons from the beaters. Then, slowly stream in the olive oil while beating the egg mixture on the highest speed of your beaters. Continue beating until the mixture is thick and there are no pools of olive oil left. Add the almond extract and beat to combine.
Corey Florin
(Corey Florin)
In another bowl, whisk together all of your dry ingredients so that they are fully incorporated.
Corey Florin
(Corey Florin)
Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat until they are just about combined. Add the lemon juice, another ⅓ of the dry ingredients, the orange juice, and then the rest of the dry ingredients. Beat just until there are no streaks left. Transfer the batter to a cake pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Corey Florin
(Corey Florin)
To make the topping: combine the rest of the sugar and orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the orange zest into the sugar until the oils from the orange are dispersed throughout the sugar. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the cake.
Corey Florin
(Corey Florin)
Bake the cake for 35 to 45 minutes until a tester comes out clean or the top feels firm to the touch. Let cool completely before dusting with confectioners’ sugar, or the sugar will dissolve!
Corey Florin
(Corey Florin)
The full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.
Recipe Tips
-
What if I don’t have cake flour? If you don’t have cake flour on hand, no worries—whisk 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour as a substitute.
-
How do I make sure my cake doesn’t stick to the pan? For double insurance, we grease our pans with oil, then line with parchment. Grease the parchment with even more oil before sprinkling with sugar. This is going to make sure that no sticking happens once we’re ready to take our cake out of the pan.
Storage
Store this cake in an airtight container at room temperature, where it will keep for 3 to 4 days.
Yields: 10-12 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
Cake
-
1 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan
-
1 c. (200 g) granulated sugar, plus more for pan
-
2 tbsp. finely grated orange zest
-
1 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
-
1/3 c. (32 g) almond flour
-
3 tbsp. fresh orange juice (from about 1 large orange)
-
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from about 2 medium lemons)
Topping & Assembly
-
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
-
2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
Directions
Cake
-
Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°. Grease a 9″ round cake pan with oil, then line bottom with parchment. Grease parchment with more oil. Sprinkle with granulated sugar, then tap to coat inside of pan, shaking out any excess sugar.
-
In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs, orange zest, lemon zest, and 1 cup granulated sugar until pale yellow, thick, and mixture trails off beaters in ribbons, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase speed to high and gradually beat in remaining 1 1/4 cups oil, streaming it slowly down edge of bowl, until mixture is thick and oil is fully incorporated. Beat in almond extract.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk cake flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
-
Add one-third of dry ingredients to egg mixture and beat until just combined. Beat in lemon juice, then another one-third of dry ingredients. Beat in orange juice, then remaining dry ingredients until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Topping & Assembly
-
In a small bowl, using your fingertips, rub granulated sugar and orange zest to release essential oils. Sprinkle over top of batter.
-
Bake cake until golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
You Might Also Like