Olive oil cake is in an arena all by itself. Instead of a typical frosted sweet cake, it’s the complete opposite. Not quite savory, but not quite sweet either. One could consider this cake light with hints of both orange and lemon. An olive oil cake is great for tea parties or as a snack.

The Key to Goodness

The key to any good recipe is the quality of the ingredients. Here at Dulcet we will always advocate for fresh local ingredients. It helps the locals as well as your community. Any who…..

To achieve a great tasting olive oil cake it’s important to use fresh fruit (organic if possible) as well as high quality extra virgin olive oil. One of our favorite budget-friendly olive oil is California Olive Ranch. If you keep in mind these two things….your cake will come out amazing!

Candied Oranges

For an appealing topping we decided to make candied oranges. Want to know how to make them? Well…just keep on reading!

the full cake with powdered sugar and candied oranges

Full warning…the candied oranges should be made 1-2 days in advance (before baking the cake).

  • First, in a medium sized saucepan combine the water and sugar (bring to a boil). Add in the sliced oranges (one at a time) and continue to cook over moderate heat with occasional flipping for 20 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook until the syrup is thick and the slices appear tender, but still intact. (Approximately 10 minutes).
  • Transfer the orange slices to rack and allow to cool overnight. Reserve the orange simple syrup for another use (refrigerate for up to 3 weeks).

Olive Oil Cake

Who’s ready to make an olive oil cake the Dulcet way?

overview of the olive cake with a sliced piece of olive cake and candied oranges

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Grease the pan with extra virgin olive oil and set aside. In a bowl sieve together the all purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. To a measuring cup combine the wet ingredients: olive oil, orange juice, melted butter, vanilla extract, and orange liqueur. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the eggs, sugar, and orange zest. Mix together until pale white, approximately 3 minutes. Alternate between adding the wet ingredients and dry ingredients into the bowl (starting and ending with the dry ingredients). Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top appears golden brown.

Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and allow to cool for a minimum of 30 minutes before topping with candied oranges and powdered sugar. Enjoy!

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slice of the olive oil cake with candied oranges and powdered sugar on top

Olive Oil Cake

Olive oil cake is in an arena all by itself. Instead of a typical frosted sweet cake, it's the complete opposite. Not quite savory, but not quite sweet either. One could consider this cake light with hints of both orange and lemon. An olive oil cake is great for tea parties or as a snack.
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 29 mins
Air Dry 1 d
Total Time 1 d 1 hr 45 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 1 9-inch cake

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Large eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • ¼ cup Light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp Baking powder
  • ½ tsp Baking soda
  • ½ tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. Orange liqueur
  • 3 tbsp. Orange zest
  • cup Orange juice freshly squeezed
  • 2 tbsp. Meyer lemon Olive oil
  • 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil high quality
  • ¼ cup Unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1⅓ cup All-purpose flour
  • ½ cup Cake flour
  • Powder sugar for garnish

Candied Oranges

  • 1 cup Sugar
  • cup Water
  • 1 large Navel Orange sliced crosswise ¼ thick

Instructions
 

Candied Oranges

  • In a saucepan combine the water and sugar. Bring to a boil.
  • Add in the sliced oranges (one at a time) and continue to cook over moderate heat with occasional flipping for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook until the syrup is thick and the slices appear tender, but still intact. (Approximately 10 minutes).
  • Transfer the orange slices to rack to dry out overnight. Reserve the orange simple syrup for another use (refrigerate for up to 3 weeks).

Olive Oil Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper.
  • In a bowl sieve together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. To a measuring cup combine the wet ingredients: olive oil, orange juice, melted butter, vanilla extract, and orange liqueur.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer or hand mixer: beat the eggs, sugar, and orange zest. Mix together until pale white, approximately 3 minutes. Alternate between adding the wet ingredients and dry ingredients into the bowl (starting and ending with the dry ingredients). Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top appears golden brown.
  • Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and allow to cool before topping with candied oranges and powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Keyword Cake, Olive Oil Cake