orange olive oil cake

Orange olive oil cake stays moist for days, with almond flour for a soft crumb and a bright citrus glaze. Easy, no-mixer recipe.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 1 1

Servings: 10 slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 300

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Cake

1.25 cups all-purpose flour
0.5 cup almond flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
0.25 teaspoon baking soda
0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs
0.75 cup extra virgin olive oil
0.75 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
0.25 cup plain yogurt

Citrus glaze

0.75 cup powdered sugar
1.5 tablespoons fresh orange juice
0.5 teaspoon orange zest

Method

Cake batter

Heat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease a 22cm (9-inch) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment. This helps the cake release easily later.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, almond flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Don’t skip this — almond flour clumps easily.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs until just broken up. Add olive oil, orange juice, orange zest, and yogurt. Mix just until combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir until you see almost no more flour, scraping the bowl well. Don’t overmix or the cake can turn dense.
Pour the batter into your pan. Bake on the center rack for 41–46 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Check at 41 — if your oven is uneven, give it a gentle turn at the 30-minute mark.
Let the cake cool 15 minutes in the pan, then run a thin knife around the edge and remove the springform. Wait until fully cooled before glazing.

Citrus glaze

In a small bowl, stir powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. If it’s too thick, add 1/2 teaspoon juice; if too thin, add a pinch more sugar. Stir in orange zest at the end.
Once your cake is cool, drizzle glaze over the top using a spoon or just tilt the cake and let it run down the sides. Let it set for 20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

When I want something that holds up for days and still feels a little special, I pull out this orange olive oil cake. The olive oil and almond flour keep it from ever drying out — it’s a slice you can pack for lunch or snack on with coffee, and it’ll always taste like citrus and sunshine.

What makes this cake different

Almond flour is the secret to the soft crumb. You don’t taste almonds, but you do get a cake that stays moist even on day three. Just make sure to break up any clumps before mixing.

Use regular extra virgin olive oil. Don’t splurge on fancy stuff — any good (not harsh) bottle works. The fruitiness actually pops more after baking.

If your oranges are sweet, this cake shines. But tart juice? I sometimes add an extra tablespoon of sugar to the batter.

Don’t skip the parchment on the pan bottom. I learned this the messy way — the glaze will soak in and release is a breeze with the paper underneath.

Substitutions & variations

You can swap half the orange juice for lemon if you want it brighter, but I don’t recommend using all lemon — the cake turns out a little too tangy for my taste. Greek yogurt works instead of plain, but coconut yogurt lifts the cake in a strange, cakey way I didn’t love.

Want another layer? Add a handful of chopped dark chocolate (70% is great) just before baking. But nuts or dried fruit don’t really suit the texture here — they sink.

Storage & prep tips

This cake lasts up to 4 days at room temp, wrapped well. Actually improves the second day. Avoid the fridge — it dries faster. You can freeze slices for up to a month, but glaze after thawing for best texture.