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.
- 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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Orange Olive Oil Cake with Cardamom
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.
This is delicious! I made with 1 C almond flour and 1 C cassava flour (my favorite healthier blend for baking). I also used my fav nondairy milk (Silk almond-coconut blend).
I baked in 1 medium and 3 smaller springform pans because of what I needed the cake for. Turned out beautifully! The olive oil does leak from the pans, so I was glad I had them on a baking sheet.
Thank you.
Fabulous delicious, easy recipe
Made my cake gluten free… a big hit…
I would like to make this for a party I am having soon but would need to make it big enough for 2 9×13 pans. Would you recommend doubling the recipe or tripling it to put 1.5 in each pan? Also do you know if the times would change?
Hi, Dory. We’ve never tested this recipe in such a large batch, so it’s hard to say what would work. We really just recommend making 2-3 separate cakes to feed a large crowd.
I definitely have this cake on my “To Make” list but was curious how baking time should be adjusted if I were to use a Bundt pan instead?
Hi, Jenny. You don’t really need to make any adjustments when using a bundt pan here. Just prepare your pan and pour in the batter. You want the batter to come up a little more than 2/3s of the way. Enjoy!
Could I substitute wheat flour with non gluten four for this recipe?
Hi, Sandra. We haven’t tested this cake with a gluten free flour ourselves, but other readers here in the comments have with success, so it sounds like it’s definitely worth a try!
This turned out great! Amazing flavor! I used my stand mixer and it gave me great height! I used a normal round baking pan, the mix filled it up, but it did not overflow! Yes, it took a few more minutes to finish baking, but I always go by giving it the test. Beautiful summer cake!
My family thinks that the Orange Cardamom Olive Oil cake is the best cake I’ve ever made! I subbed gluten free 1:1 flour and it baked perfectly.
So great to hear a gluten free version of this worked for you! Super helpful to know!
Love this cake
I would love to try this recipe for a weekend away with friends. Can the baked cake be frozen?
Sure, Karen! When you’re ready to eat it, just thaw in the fridge overnight. Hope you enjoy it!
I have tried several different versions of this cake and this recipe is the best! The cake is very moist but also light and soft. I have subbed yogurt for the milk and doubled the cardamom and it still came out great. Definitely spend the time to beat eggs and sugar for 5 minutes to get that fluffy consistency.
Recipe doesn’t tell you number of eggs, amounts and how much cardamom very unsatisfactory.
Hi, Ann. That specific info can be found on the recipe card at the end of the post. To get there quickly, you can hit the “Jump to Recipe” button located right under the recipe’s title.
This cake was gorgeous! Bright orange flavor and a beautifully moist crumb. I baked mine at 325 degrees F, as per the manufacturer’s instructions on my cake pan, so mine took 55 minutes to bake, but it still turned out delicious! I also took out the cardamom, since I was baking this for a summer birthday celebration, and it was still delicious!
A few tips for everyone:
1. Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature.
2. Bake in a cake pan with a high height (I used Fat Daddio’s 9-inch pan with a 3-inch height, and it worked out really well. I am not sure if a spring form pan would work, since it might leak out the bottom. But if someone had success it with it, please let me know.)
3. Put the cake pan on a baking sheet before putting it in the oven. This will allow the bottom to not get too dark, especially if you need to extend the time.
4. If you have a baking thermometer, you can use it to check if the cake is done. The middle should have a reading of 200 degrees F.
Thank you for an amazing recipe! It was so delicious!
Thanks so much for sharing your tips and tricks here, Marlena! Very helpful!
You are very welcome! I forgot to say as well that if you are using table salt instead of kosher salt, put in 3/4 tsp. I used 3/4 tsp, and it worked out really well!
Thank you again for an amazing cake!
This is the best cake I ever made. It’s super moist and delicious. Thank you
Wow! What an awesome review! Thank you!
I made this delightful cake and love , love the moist texture. I will make it again and freeze it for the holidays. However, next time I will use half a teaspoon of salt instead of a full teaspoon. I will also use a fine salt, not kosher. The cake is delicious, but has salt “pockets” throughout.
I used table salt for my recipe, and I used 3/4 tsp instead of 1 tsp (I agree that 1 tsp of table salt would probably be too much). 3/4 tsp of table salt worked really well for the cake.
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!