This orange olive oil cake recipe bursts with sunny flavors of bright orange and fragrant cardamom! Extra virgin olive oil makes this simple cake irresistibly fluffy and tender for days.
We use oranges liberally during citrus season in the Mediterranean, both in sweet and savory recipes. However, one of my favorite ways to use them is in this orange olive oil cake.
I love this recipe so much that I included it in my first cookbook, and I had to share it with you here. I’ll say it: making cake with olive oil, in my opinion, is just better! I love the richness it gives to so many desserts, from this orange cake, to apple cake, chocolate cake, and beyond.
This is not your typical super sweet icing-topped cake. It’s the perfect fusion of bright, delicately sweet, and savory flavors, with subtle warm notes from the cardamom. And, because olive oil is liquid at room temperature, this cake stays moist for days. One bite, and you’ll be hooked!
Ingredients and Substitutions
This orange olive oil cake requires just a few baking staples. Here’s everything you’ll need to bring it to life:
- Extra virgin olive oil: Good quality, fruity or more neutral-tasting olive oil like our Italian Nocellara is perfect in this cake. Avoid oils that are peppery or bitter, as they’ll overwhelm the flavor.
- All purpose flour: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour alternative if needed. Your cake will be slightly more dense but just as scrumptious!
- Kosher salt: A crucial flavor enhancer, bringing out the natural taste of the rest of the ingredients.
- Baking powder: Used in combination with baking soda to help the cake rise.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is my go-to here to magnify the sweetness of the orange.
- Ground cardamom: Cardamom is a fairly warm spice with subtle lemony undertones that pair beautifully with orange. Here are 11 more ways to use it!
- Eggs: Provide structure.
- Orange: Both orange zest and orange juice are used for an utterly irresistible recipe. You could experiment with other citrus, like meyer lemons.
- Milk: Use whole milk or a plant-based alternative to create a smooth batter.
- Confectioner’s sugar: Also called powdered sugar, this is optional but will make the cake extra pretty.
How to Make Orange Olive Oil Cake
This orange olive oil cake recipe is extremely simple, there are no fancy techniques or equipment required! Here are the steps:
- Get ready: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with a little olive oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and dust with a bit of flour, shaking out the excess.
- Mix together dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
- Beat the wet ingredients with sugar: To a large bowl, add 3/4 to 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, 3 large eggs, and 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar. Using an electric hand mixer set on high, beat the mixture until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use a stand mixer on high speed). While the mixer is running, slowly drizzle in 1 cup extra virgin olive oil and beat until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and add 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 1/4 cups whole milk, and the zest of 1 orange. Beat until smooth.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix on low just until you have a uniform batter.
- Bake the cake: Pour the cake batter into the pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (ovens do vary, so check your cake at 30 minutes and go from there).
- Cool: Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then run a small knife around the edge, invert the cake onto a large plate, then invert again onto a rack to cool completely.
- Finish and serve. Dust the cake with powdered sugar, sprinkle with the remaining orange zest, slice, and enjoy!
Why Use Olive Oil in Cake?
Many readers ask me if you can bake with olive oil. The short answer is: Yes! You can–and should–bake cakes with olive oil. (For a deeper dive, check out our Comprehensive Guide to Baking With Olive Oil.) Here’s why I love olive oil desserts:
- Makes cakes extra tender for longer than butter. Because olive oil is liquid at room temperature, it adds unmatched levels of moisture to cake over time.
- Reduces the amount of saturated fat. It replaces that fat with heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. This can improve cholesterol, among other benefits listed here.
- Adds a more complex flavor. High-quality extra virgin olive oil adds a rich, slightly fruity flavor to this recipe without being overbearing.
What to Serve with Orange Olive Oil Cake
Although this olive oil cake is fantastic as is a little something extra can really bring out the wow factor! Sometimes, I just can’t help myself!
- Add a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of olive oil ice cream.
- A spoonful of vanilla yogurt.
- Top with orange segments.
- Top with candied orange peels or sugared cranberries for a festive twist! Yum!
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Ingredients
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, fruity, more neutral-tasting, plus extra for the pan
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 ½ cups plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- Grated zest of 2 oranges, plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk or plant-based alternative
- 2 tablespoons sifted confectioners’ sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the oven: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the baking pan: Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with a little olive oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and dust with a bit of the flour, shaking out the excess.
- Mix together dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Beat the wet ingredients with sugar: In a large bowl, combine the 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, cardamom, and eggs. Using an electric hand mixer set on high, beat the mixture until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use a stand mixer on high speed). While the mixer is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and beat until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and add half the orange zest, the orange juice, and milk. Beat until smooth.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix on low just until you have a uniform batter.
- Bake the cake: Pour the cake batter into the pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (ovens do vary, so check your cake at 30 minutes and go from there).
- Cool the cake: Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then run a small knife around the edge, invert the cake onto a large plate, then invert again onto a rack to cool completely.
- Serve: Before serving, dust the cake with powdered sugar and sprinkle with orange zest.
Video
Notes
- Make ahead. Olive oil keeps cakes tender and moist for longer, which makes this recipe an easy choice for holiday menu planning. Make it a day or to in advance and it will still taste fresh when your guests arrive.
- Olive oil is truly wonderful in baking recipes, but you want to use the right kind because olive oil is as nuanced as wine. You want something mild and fruity for this cake like our California Arbequina olive oil. Stay away from spicy or peppery flavors like our Spanish Hojiblanca olive oil. I prefer to use that in more savory dishes.
- Swap it. If you don’t have cardamom on hand try cinnamon. It’s a natural pairing with orange. You can try it in our Orange Cinnamon Challah French Toast recipe.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, spices, and more.
Nutrition
Try Our Authentic Italian Olive Oil
Smooth, fruity, and rich, this hand-picked and cold-extracted oil is perfect for baking.
*This post has recently been updated with new information for the readers’ benefit.
What a wonderful recipe. Needed to cook a little longer as others have said. I made a glaze with powdered sugar, orange juice, and vanilla, and topped with crushed pistachios. By Farr and away, this had a bigger reaction from my friends than anything I’ve ever made in my life.
I love this recipe!!! I can’t believe I’m only commenting now as I’ve been making this for a few years now, and it’s become my go to cake for anything. The olive oil adds so much moisture and such a great taste, I cannot recommend enough using a high quality olive oil, especially if you get find a lighter one with fruitier notes. I like the partanna red bottle one for this. I also like to add a little rose or orange blossom water and up the cardamom a little. It does bake for quite a while but it’s super easy to add a few minutes and check with a toothpick or use a shallow pan, I haven’t had any problems with it being underbaked. So yummy!!
Hi, Lili! I’m so glad this cake has become a go-to for you over the years. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Here to update my comment.
I should have waited until it was done baking!! My apologies. It did take longer to bake, more like an hour. Could probably have gone in a 10 inch pan to make for a thinner cake that bakes in less time. With that being said, it came out delicious! Lovely flavor and texture.
Should have read the comments beforehand. My cake has been baking for 45 minutes and is completely liquid in the middle. Pretty upsetting, hopefully it bakes through. Olive oil isn’t cheap.
Absolutely delicious! I should have baked a bit longer as the center was not completely done….just cut a hole in the middle and just fine! Will definitely make again
I used cake flour instead of all purpose and it turned out great! This is a really flavorful, dense cake. Perfect for tea time with black tea.
I forgot to mention, besides the cake flour, I also used an 8 inch cake pan which was not springform. I also baked it for almost 60 min. Friends and family ate it up!
Oh.my.goodness! This cake is so moist and flavorful it can be a dessert or a morning sweet. I can’t wait to bring this to the next family gathering! The cardamom is such a rich, subtle flavor. My husband gives it two forks up!
As others have said, the batter is too thin and the volume too much for the cake pan size states. I used a 10” pan and baked it for almost twice the stated time, and it was still liquid in the middle and domed and cracked on the outside. The batter was thinner than any cake I have ever made. I suggest reducing the milk or leaving it out altogether.
I was skeptical of the thin batter, but I used a 9″ springform pan and that worked well, as the sides are higher than a standard cake pan. I had to bake it for about 50 minutes.
Thanks, Judy! Yes, important to use a springform pan here.
Have made this recipe a few times this month and its been such a hit! Delicious, light, with great texture. 10/10
Great to hear! Thank you!!
Made this cake for my father’s birthday and it was divine! Everyone loved it. The recipe was easy to follow and like that there’s not a ton of ingredients or steps. I used the Arbequina Olive Oil which has such a mild and delicious flavor. Oranges really make this cake perfect for summer. This is my new favorite cake and I will be making it A LOT!
So great to hear! Thanks, Melinda!
Flavor is delicious and I would make it again. A few comments:
It made more batter than needed. I filled a 9-inch cake pan 2/3rds high and had enough left over for 5 small cupcakes.
Next time I will use only one TB of sugar to dust the top.
Use ALL the orange zest at the end as that is such a flavor enhancer.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Maria!
I was so eager to make this cake, I neglected to read comments first. Wish I would have, as I too have extra cupcakes. Hoping it’ll bake up ok and not overflow the pan. I’m sure the flavor combo will be delish!
I made this yesterday and agree there is alot of batter for 9” pan, will try 12” next time as another commented. The taste is wonderful and I will make again.
I used a 12 inch pan and it turned out perfectly. 9 inch pan is definitely too small for this recipe. It was a huge hit at the party! Delicious.
Lovely recipe–it’s unique flavor was a hit with our family.
my cake is still in the oven 60 min and still wet in the center, i baked in a 9″ springform so the batter would fit but you have a problem of either too much batter or liquid.
I made this for a friend’s birthday. Garnished with candied orange peel and candied pistachios made with the leftover syrup from the orange peels.
Everyone loved it!!
Wonderful! Thanks so much, Julie!