Olive Oil & Orange Cake

Illustrated cover for Olive Oil & Orange Cake
Prep:15 minCook:40 minServings:8

A moist, tender single-layer cake made with fruity olive oil, orange zest, and fresh juice, dusted with powdered sugar and served slightly warm. Mediterranean and not too sweet — a gentle finish to a steak dinner.

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp fine salt
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 oranges — for zest and juice
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar — for dusting

Prep Tips

Directions

  1. Prep the pan and oven Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with a little olive oil and line the bottom with a parchment round.

  2. Whisk the dry mix In a bowl, whisk together 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp fine salt until evenly combined.

  3. Scent the sugar In a large bowl, add ¾ cup granulated sugar and the finely grated zest of 2 oranges (reserve the oranges for juicing). Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until fragrant and damp — this releases the orange oils.

  4. Build the wet base Whisk 3 large eggs into the zesty sugar until pale and slightly foamy, about 1 minute. Juice the reserved oranges and measure out about 1/3 cup of juice. Whisk in ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, the orange juice, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth.

  5. Combine and bake Gently fold the dry mix into the wet ingredients until just combined and no streaks of flour remain — don't overmix. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 32–38 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  6. Cool and dust Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and peel off the parchment. While still slightly warm, dust the top with 2 tbsp powdered sugar through a fine sieve and serve.