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Every slice of this bright citrusy-sweet cake made with olive oil and orange extracts will have your taste buds captivated. This Orange Olive Oil Cake is like a dash of sunshine that will brighten even the coldest of winter days! The best part- it will stay super moist for days!
Oranges are available year-round, but they are best harvested during their peak months – the wintertime! This is when they are their sweetest and juiciest! And since we love ourselves some homemade, Spanish-inspired olive oil cake, we deemed them to be a match made in heaven! The perfect winter-through-spring treat that tastes like warm sunshine!
If you are a staunch butter-in-my-batter type of baker, I encourage you to try this recipe out. We are kicking dairy butter to the curb and swapping it with olive oil! And the result is a cake loaded with moist, delicate crumbs brimming with orange flavor in every bite! This Orange Olive Oil Cake is a perfectly textured, richly flavored treat that you can enjoy with your afternoon tea or coffee or as a light and sweet ending to your evening meal.
Reasons to Love Orange Olive Oil Cake
- This cake will be as moist on day 5 as it was on the day you made it! Since oil is made of 100% fats, it remains liquid at room temperature, resulting in a moister cake with lofty and tender crumbs.
- Olive oil is a nutritious oil made of healthful fats filled with antioxidants. Certainly a lot healthier than dairy butter can ever be. The antioxidants and vitamins from the oranges used in this recipe magnify its health benefits even more!
- Simple. This recipe is simple in every way. Ingredients are mostly pantry basics, and the steps are easy to follow. All of the ingredients are simply combined in a bowl and baked.
- You can keep it as it is to enjoy as an everyday snack or dessert, or you can add some embellishments to make it into an elegant, celebration-worthy homemade cake.
Ingredients Needed
How to Make Orange Olive Oil Cake
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your 9-inch round cake pan by lightly greasing it with oil. Combine sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt then set aside.
Step 2: Wet ingredients. Mix the sugar, orange juice, olive oil, vanilla, and orange zest in a bowl until well combined.
Step 3: Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients using a spatula. Mix everything well.
Step 4: Pour the Orange Olive Oil batter into the cake pan and bake for 35 minutes. Allow cooling on a rack before unmolding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some say this is the dairy-free version of a classic pound cake because it removes dairy butter from the equation. Though most recipes still use egg, this vegan version does not require one. Here’s a great guide on some vegan egg replacers for baking!
No zester or grater, no problem! Just use a regular vegetable peeler or take a small sharp knife. Working from top to bottom, peel off a strip of orange skin. We simply want orange skin with no white at the bottom. If this happens, you may have peeled it too deeply.
Not at all. Olive oil does not give an overpowering taste, but instead, it adds another depth of flavor to the cake.
It is as healthy as any cake recipe can be. Olive oil is the healthiest oil in the world, after all!
While you can use any oranges for this recipe, Navel and Valencia are great options because of their juiciness and sweetness.
Top Tips:
- Use a variety of citrus fruits. This recipe can also be made using other citruses like lemon, mandarin, citron, tangerine, limes, and grapefruits.
- Add some chopped nuts or seeds to give your cake some crunch.
- If you want a more elaborate presentation, you can make this on a Bundt cake instead. Those nooks and dips will certainly add more visual appeal.
- You can add some fresh orange flesh on top and sprinkle powdered sugar before serving.
- Serve with vegan banana ice cream, vegan yogurt, or vegan whipped cream on top!
Storing Leftover Orange Olive Oil Cake
- At room temperature – Place any leftovers in a sealed cake box or cake tin and store it in a cool, dry area for 2 to 3 days.
- In the fridge – If you want to keep it longer, you can place the cake in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 5 days.
- In the freezer – If you wish to freeze it, wrap the cake with a layer of plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. Place it on a wire rack to thaw for 3-4 hours before enjoying.
Orange Olive Oil Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons 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 a variety of citrus fruits. This recipe can also be made using other citruses like lemon, mandarin, citron, tangerine, limes, and grapefruits.
- Add some chopped nuts or seeds to give your cake some crunch.
- If you want a more elaborate presentation, you can make this on a Bundt cake instead. Those nooks and dips will certainly add more visual appeal.
- You can add some fresh orange flesh on top and sprinkle powdered sugar before serving.
- Serve with vegan banana ice cream, vegan yogurt, or vegan whipped cream on top!
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
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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.
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!