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This vegan orange olive oil cake is tender, moist, and ultra-flavorful. It’s packed with bright citrusy orange juice & zest and smells amazing as it bakes! It makes a simple but elegant treat midweek or to shine for special occasions, like brunch, dinner parties, potlucks, or even Easter!
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Why You’ll Love This Olive Oil and Orange Cake
This impressively delicious cake will knock your socks off. And it’s so simple to make, using just pantry staples and a couple fresh oranges. Heart healthy olive oil adds a subtle fruity depth to create a soft, moist cake with a tender crumb that stays moist up to 5 days after baking (with no greasiness!). That pairs swimmingly with fragrant fresh orange juice and zest for this bright and summery, citrusy, delicious orange olive oil cake.
It comes together in just 45 minutes, and most of that is passive bake time! Even better, you can bake it a day or two ahead and have it ready when you are. Enjoy it as-is, with a dusting of powdered sugar, a simple orange glaze (or this 3-ingredient lemon glaze), or keep reading for more yummy serving suggestions.
If you love citrus-y treats, you might also like my lemon poppy seed cake, easy vegan lemon cupcakes, or lemon crinkle cookies.
Ingredients for Olive Oil and Orange Cake
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients, notes, and quantities.
How to Make Orange Olive Oil Cake
Step 1: First, preheat the oven to 350°F/175 °C and lightly oil a 9-inch cake pan. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Then mix and set aside.
Step 2: Next, zest and juice the oranges into a large bowl. After that, whisk in the sugar, olive oil, and vanilla.
For more flavor in your olive oil and orange cake, rub the zest into the sugar until fragrant and lightly tinted.
Step 3: Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until only just combined.
Step 4: Finally, pour the batter into the pan and bake the orange olive oil cake for 30-35 minutes. Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan, slicing, and serving. Enjoy!
FAQs
The same way neutral oils are utilized, olive oil helps create a super moist cake with a tender crumb that will stay softer for days while adding a delicious, subtle depth of flavor.
Use a regular vegetable peeler or use a small, sharp knife. Working from top to bottom, peel off strips of orange peel, avoiding the bitter white pith.
Though fresh orange juice provides the best flavor, a high-quality (with no added sugars) bottled juice will work in a pinch.
Yes, but that’s one of the best things about olive oil cake recipes. Just make sure to use mild olive oil (fruity/floral), not a strong, bitter, peppery one.
While you can use any oranges for this recipe, Navel and Valencia are great options because of their juiciness and sweetness.
A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend (like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur) should work, though the texture may vary.
Toni’s Recipe Tips
- Use good-quality olive oil: It’s best to use a mild or light extra-virgin olive oil to add flavor without overpowering the orange.
- Use fresh orange juice: For the freshest flavor. Also, zest the orange before juicing for ease.
- Measure the oil carefully: If you use too little, the cake will be dry. Too much, and it becomes heavy/greasy.
- Measure flour correctly: Fluff it in its bag, spoon it into the cup, and level with a knife to avoid a dense cake.
- Don’t over-mix: To avoid a dense, gummy cake.
- Let it rest: If you have the patience, resting the cake for 24 hours improves flavor/texture.
- Use a different pan: This should also work in a 9-inch square pan or a bundt pan. Baking times will vary.
What To Serve With Citrus Olive Oil Cake
You can enjoy this vegan olive oil orange cake on its own or with:
- Sugar: A dusting of powdered sugar gives it a classic look.
- Cream: Vegan whipped cream or a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or this banana nice cream dress it up!
- Glaze: A simple orange glaze, this 3-ingredient lemon glaze, or complemented with an easy strawberry glaze.
- Compote: It would taste delicious with a berry compote, this easy mango compote, or a drizzle of vegan orange curd.
- Fruit: Additionally, top with orange/tangerine/clementine segments and/or fresh berries, like raspberries and blueberries.
- Nuts: Give a bit of crunch with a sprinkle of crushed pistachios
- Yummy Drink: What’s a slice of cake without a a warm mug of tea, coffee (like this scrumptious Biscoff latte), or vegan hot chocolate? (The flavors of this Mexican hot chocolate would also pair well!)
Storage Instructions
Room temperature: Store the orange and olive oil cake in an airtight container at room temperature for around 3 days for the best texture.
Fridge: It will store for 4-5 days, but bring it to room temperature (or microwave for a few seconds) before enjoying, as chilling firms the cake and dulls flavor.
Freezer: Wrap, whole or sliced, in plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Then, thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for several hours.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
Vegan Desserts
Mango Cake
Vegan Desserts
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Vegan Desserts
Vegan Birthday Cake [Funfetti Cake]
Vegan Desserts
Vegan Lemon Loaf Cake
If you tried this orange olive oil cake recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
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Orange Olive Oil Cake
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Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- ½ cup of orange juice
- ½ cup of olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla
- zest of two oranges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9' round cake pan.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together sugar, orange juice, olive oil, vanilla, and orange zest.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined.
- Pour batter into cake pan and bake 35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean and edges of cake have begun to pull away from the pan.
- Allow cake to cool completely before unmolding from pan.
Notes
- Use good-quality olive oil: It’s best to use a mild or light extra-virgin olive oil to add flavor without overpowering the orange.
- Use fresh orange juice: For the freshest flavor. Also, zest the orange before juicing for ease.
- Measure the oil carefully: If you use too little, the cake will be dry. Too much, and it becomes heavy/greasy.
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Hi what can I substitute sugar for please Maybe honey or maple syrup many thanks
Hi! We on the PBOAB team haven’t tried a sugar substitute for this recipe so we can’t guarantee the results. Let us know if you give a sub a try 🙂
Deeeeeelicious. Super easy to make. Really great with morning coffee or with a side of plant based vanilla ice cream. I’ve made it twice now 🙂
So happy to hear that you enjoyed this easy orange olive oil cake! I bet it was so tasty alongside some vegan ice cream!
I just made this last night. It was enjoyable and pretty easy to make (zesting – well it’s not my favorite). My family agrees it has good flavor, but also that it was dry. I believe it would benefit from a binding agent, like eggs, to moisten and fluff it up. Perhaps a flax egg, or yogurt would be a good experiment.
So glad you all enjoyed this yummy olive oil cake! Please let us know how it turns out if you end up trying out an extra binding agent 🙂
i’ve made this 3 times- the first turned out great, and the recipe was super easy and with ingredients i already had at home! but the second two times i’ve made it, the batter was more of a consistency of cookie batter, it wasn’t possible to pour it from the bowl into the cake pan. i’m trying to troubleshoot what might have happened, but i do think the ratio of flour to oils and liquids is quite high here
So sorry it didn’t turn out well the second and third time. Baking is such an art sometimes!
Any thoughts on making it gluten free?
We at Plant-Based on a Budget haven’t given that sub a try out yet. But please let it know how it turns out if you give it a go!
I’ve made this 3 times now and this last time was a charm. Yes I tweaked some things to my liking and dressed it up a little more, like 2 flax eggs, used frozen orange juice concentrate that I always keep in my freezer instead of just juice, subbed in 3/4 cup whole wheat flour vs the white flour, reduced the white sugar to 3/4 cup and sprinkled 1/2 chopped pecans on top followed by 1/4 cup brown sugar sprinkled on top before baking. It was more brownie-like, a bit chewy. I always weigh my flours, it makes a big difference when baking to keep the recipe consistent. I’ve used different olive oils and a “middle of the road” one worked well. Another I used was quite strong and the added bitterness was noticeable. Fine for me but not some others. Over all a great simple, healthy recipe that’s good as is and welcoming to personal touches.
Hi Dee, Can you share how much flour, in weight, you used? I too prefer to use weights for baking…especially the flour! I’m looking forward to making this lovely looking recipe 🙂
This a go-to for me, and people usually ask for seconds. I always add rough-chopped dark chocolate (usually 90% Lindt bar, but right now it’s in the oven with dark chocolate chips) and it’s my favourite dessert for the holiday season too.
Love that so much! Bet it turns out amazing every time!
Easy to make and totally awesome
Gotta love the easy cake recipe!
Calories on orange olive oil cake are listed as 341, but does not indicate serving size?
Hi! If you divide it into 8 pieces, each piece is about 341 calories 🙂
I used date sugar to replace refined sugar. Any idea if that would soak up the liquid? my “batter” was more like crumbly cookie dough. Any recommendations?
The granulated sugar does contribute to the texture. We at Plant-Based on a Budget haven’t tried out another sub for the sugar so can’t guarantee the results but we hope you were still able to enjoy it!
How would it be if I subbed with gluten free flour?
We at Plant-Based on a Budget haven’t given that sub a try out yet. But please let it know how it turns out if you give it a go!
I do love this recipe and it’s delicious but it always falls on me! It turns more into a dense bar versus a fluffy cake. I am at 5400 feet though so I feel I need to tinker with the baking powder and the liquid ratios to get it to be a fluffy cake. Ugh the joys of baking at high altitude.
So sorry to hear that! Baking at high altitude does make things a bit more complex. Hope it still comes out delicious!
So delicious. I used brown sugar and iced the cake with powdered sugar and OJ. Quick and easy dessert.
Sounds absolutely incredible!
Wow, this was really, really delicious! I love how simple it was to make, the bright citrus flavor, and how moist it was! My kids asked me to make it again as soon as possible! Definitely a keeper!
Hi! Just baked this cake and I was expecting a different texture. It’s a bit dry. Nice taste but needs something else. I’m thinking vegan yoghurt or apple sauce to make it more moist. Thanks for sharing. It was super easy to make. 😊
Thanks for your feedback! You can definitely add in some vegan yoghurt or apple sauce. Enjoy!