orange olive oil cake

Orange olive oil cake: a moist, one-bowl cake with real orange zest. Stays soft for days and brings a sunny citrus flavor in under 70 minutes.

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Total Time 1 11

Servings: 10 slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 315

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Cake batter

1.5 cup all-purpose flour
0.75 cup granulated sugar
0.5 cup olive oil extra-virgin
0.5 cup fresh orange juice
0.25 cup whole milk
3 unit large eggs
2 tablespoon orange zest
2 teaspoon baking powder
0.25 teaspoon fine salt

Citrus glaze

0.75 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
0.5 teaspoon orange zest

Method

Cake batter preparation

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. This makes sure your cake won’t stick. Trust me, I’ve tried skipping it. Not worth it.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar for about 1 minute—just until the mixture looks a little pale.
Pour in the olive oil, orange juice, milk, and orange zest. Whisk until fully combined. The olive oil brings out the orange flavor here.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the wet mix. I do it in two batches (half at a time) to avoid pockets of flour. Stir gently with a spatula, just until combined. Don’t overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan lightly on the counter to pop any air bubbles.
Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. If your oven bakes unevenly, rotate the pan after 30 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack. Cool completely before glazing.

Citrus glaze preparation

While the cake cools, whisk powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest in a small bowl. Start with 2 tablespoons of juice; for a thinner glaze, add a bit more juice, just a few drops at a time.
Once the cake is cool, spoon or drizzle the glaze over the top, letting it drip down the sides. I like running the back of a spoon over the top for that homemade look.

Notes

I make this orange olive oil cake every time I want something sunny and not too sweet — especially in that in-between season when oranges are still good but everyone’s tired of heavy winter desserts. The olive oil gives it a softer crumb than butter cakes, and you actually taste the citrus instead of just sugar.

Technique notes (read before you bake)

Zesting matters more than you think: don’t just grate the outer layer — scrape right up to the white (pith), but stop before you actually get that bitter part. The best flavor comes from using a microplane and zesting directly over your batter bowl so you catch all those aromatic oils that fly out. This tip alone will make your kitchen smell like you’re baking at a little café in Sicily.

If your cake cracks a bit on top while baking, that’s normal — it usually means your oven runs hot or your pan is a bit small. No stress; the glaze covers it, and the crumb still stays moist.

When making the glaze, add the juice in slowly. Powdered sugar acts like a sponge; you’ll need less liquid than you think. If it runs off immediately, it’s too thin — just whisk in a bit more sugar right in the bowl, no need to start over.

Substitutions and variations that work

You can use blood oranges for a deeper color and slightly berry-like flavor (great for a winter brunch). Lemon works too, but I’d bump the sugar up by a tablespoon — lemons can make it sharper than most people expect.

If you want the cake dairy-free, swap the milk for oat or almond milk. I’ve tried both, and the texture stays the same. Yogurt instead of milk gives it a little tang and a denser crumb.

I don’t recommend cutting much sugar — you lose moisture and the balance of orange flavor.

Storage and make-ahead tips

This cake keeps at room temp for 2 days, covered loosely. The olive oil keeps it from drying out, so it actually tastes great the next day. For longer storage, refrigerate and let it come to room temp before serving. If you want to freeze, skip the glaze and add it after thawing.