Orange olive oil cake is a type of cake that is made with olive oil and fresh orange juice and zest. It's a simple yet elegant cake that is perfect for a variety of occasions, from dinner parties to afternoon tea.
If you have not tried this orange juice and olive oil cake add it to your list.
This Orange Olive Oil Cake Recipe Is...
- Made from scratch
- Fresh orange juice used and orange zest
- Moist cake
- Great for parties and special events
- Gorgeous presentation value
You might also enjoy my lemon blueberry bundt cake, pineapple poke cake, or even this vegan cheesecake for another dessert option.
How to Make An Orange Olive Oil Cake
Full steps along with measurements are at the bottom of the post. This is a quick walk through on how it is made.
- Preheat and prep the 9" pan. Set aside.
- Next in a bowl add dry ingredients together. Toss and set aside.
- In a bowl add your sugar, oil, and orange juice and zest. Mix well then add in the eggs.
- Once smooth work in the flour and sour cream.
- Pour into the baking pan and bake in a preheated oven.
- Once done, let cool and then dust with powdered sugar and orange slices.
Helpful Tools for Baking Orange Cake
9" Pan
I used a 9" round baking pan for this cake. You will find it is a thinner cake and not as thick as some cakes. You could also get away with an 8" baking pan if you needed.
Mixer
Using a stand or hand mixer would speed up the prep work of this cake. If you don't own one a whisk works just as good. Just aim to remove most of the lumps in the cake batter.
Zester
You will want to buy a zester so you can get the peel off the orange easily. These can be found in the kitchen accessory aisle. They are pretty affordable or shop online.
Juicer
Buy a hand or electronic juicer if you want to use fresh orange juice for the recipe. You will find juicers work great to get all the juice out of each half of the orange to maximize your oranges.
Parchment Rounds
You can buy pre-shaped parchment rounds to place in the bottom of the round cake pan if you want. You can find these in the baking aisle or shop online and ship to your home. This saves a lot of prep for cutting parchment paper to fit the pan.
Tips for Success
Mix zest with sugar first
One tip I learned years ago is if you take your orange zest and place in the bowl with the granulated sugar and press it together it releases all the oils. This will help enhance the flavor of the orange zest even more in the cake if you do this first. Let it sit 1-2 minutes then add in other ingredients.
Dry Ingredients
Working the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl and setting aside ensures all the dry ingredients will incorporate evenly in the batter. I have found this step truly does help create a better cake at the end.
Variations to Orange Olive Oil Cake
Toppings
Orange olive oil cake can be served plain or with toppings such as whipped cream, fresh fruit, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Blood Oranges
Use blood oranges instead of regular oranges to give the cake a unique and vibrant color.
Chocolate Orange Cake Base
Add cocoa powder or chocolate chips to the cake batter to make a chocolate orange olive oil cake. This will give the cake a rich and decadent flavor.
Spiced Cake
Add spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom to the cake batter to give it a warm and comforting flavor that pairs well with the orange zest and juice.
Orange Olive Oil FAQs
What does orange olive oil cake taste like?
Orange olive oil cake has a unique flavor that is sweet, moist, and citrusy, with a subtle hint of olive oil. The orange flavor comes from the fresh orange juice and zest that is added to the cake batter, which gives it a bright and zesty taste. The olive oil adds a rich and slightly nutty flavor to the cake, which complements the orange flavor well. The texture of the cake is typically dense and moist, with a tender crumb that is not overly sweet.
How do you store this olive oil cake?
Orange olive oil cake will keep for up to 3-4 days at room temperature if stored properly. After that, the cake may start to dry out and lose its flavor.
Can I double the recipe and use a 9x13 pan instead of a 9" round pan?
Yes, you can double the recipe for an orange olive oil cake and bake it in a 9x13 inch pan instead of a 9-inch round pan. Doubling the recipe and using a larger pan will affect the baking time. You will need to increase the baking time by 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
More Tasty Desserts
If you love this Orange Olive Oil cake, you might want to check out these other delicious dessert ideas:
Recipe
Orange Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup orange juice
- Zest from one orange
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- Powdered sugar for serving
- Orange slices for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F, grease a 9” baking pan
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside
- In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar, olive oil, orange juice and orange zest. Beat in the eggs until smooth
- Add the flour mixture and stir.
- Then stir in the sour cream
- Mix well until you get a creamy and smooth batter.
- Transfer cake batter to the prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven 25-30 minutes, until toothpick in the center comes out clean
- Allow to cool before transferring to a rack to cool completely
- Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and some fresh orange slices
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