Orange Olive Oil Cake

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Orange Olive Oil Cake is one of my favorite desserts. You might think that olive oil makes the cake dense, heavy, and unpleasing to the palate. Surprisingly, the cake is super moist with a delicate, soft, pudding-like crumb. Orange juice and zest give the cake an aromatic citrus profile.

For extra zing and presentation, I finish the cake with orange syrup made from candied orange slices which I use as a garnish. I promise that the effort to make candied orange slices is well worth the enterprise. The syrup and candied slices will stay fresh in the fridge for months. I like to make extra candied slices to use in other desserts, crumble into my morning oatmeal, or top off a snack of cottage cheese. Drizzle the syrup on yogurt or pancakes or mix it into a cocktail. I make a killer margarita replacing lime juice with fresh squeezed orange juice and simple syrup with orange syrup. Rim the glass with sugar and add a candied orange slice to finish the presentation. Yum and cheers!

Types of Olive Oil

An olive is the fruit of a species of a small tree or shrub with the botanical name Olea europaea. It has a high concentration of oleic acid and other fatty acids. Olive oil is the result of crushing and pressing the fruit to release the liquid fat. The oil has multiple uses from cooking oil and fuel to an ingredient in cosmetics, soaps, and pharmaceuticals.

Olive oil is graded according to characteristic flavor, acidity, and means of extraction. EVOO is produced within 72 hours of harvesting. Extraction is by mechanical or hand pressing without the addition of heat or chemical solvents. Only first-pressed or cold-pressed oils can be classified as extra virgin or virgin depending upon their acidity level. EVOO or virgin olive oils are full of flavor. They stand out drizzled on meats and vegetables or added to pasta dishes. Refined oils produced from multiple pressings and higher temperatures are not as flavorful. These are best for all-purpose cooking.

Olive Oil Flavor Characteristics

EVOO has a variety of flavor characteristics described as fresh-cut grass, tropical fruit, green apple, tomato leaf, pepper, citrus, buttery, spicy, and nutty. Aroma is a critical part of flavor.

To determine what characteristics the oil has, place a small amount into a wine glass. Place the glass in one hand and cup it with the other. Swirl the oil for a minute or two to warm it. Place your nose into the glass and inhale. Take a sip and make note of how it feels in your entire mouth and tongue. Next, suck air through the oil. Close your mouth and breathe out of your nose. Swallow the oil to determine its pungency. The oil causes a chemical irritation in the throat. This “peppery” or “hot chili” feeling is a positive characteristic of the oil. The pungency is mild or intense enough to make you cough. Bitterness is an unexpected positive attribute of olive oil. Like pungency, it is an acquired taste. Bitter is a characteristic found in green unripened fruit.

Baking with EVOO

Fat is a basic component of baked goods. In comparison to other fats, olive oil is a healthy choice. Olive oil contains fatty acids and antioxidants that help to reduce inflammation. It is resistant to oxidation at high temperatures which makes it a good choice for baking. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a perfect substitution for butter or other fat in a citrus-forward baked dessert. The type of EVOO to use depends upon the flavor profile of the baked product you are trying to achieve. There are hundreds of olive oil varietals, each with a distinct flavor and characteristic. EVOO is a single varietal or a blend of several varietals. For baking sweet desserts, I suggest using an EVOO with a mildly pungent and buttery characteristic.

Serve it up!

Orange Olive Oil Cake is a versatile dessert. Finished with a large dollop of Chantilly Cream, it is delightful as an after-meal capper or a morning sweet with your coffee.

Print Recipe

Orange Olive Oil Cake

Don't be fooled into thinking this cake is heavy and dense. It is surprisingly light with a soft pudding-like crumb and simple to prepare. Use a pure, high-quality extra virgin olive oil that you reserve for finishing dishes. The flavor will be more pleasing than a generic cooking olive oil. Reserve the syrup from the candied orange slices to pour over the cake. This adds moisture and flavor. Serve with a dollop of Chantilly cream and garnish with candied citrus.

Prep Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, French, Italian, Spanish

Keyword: candied citrus, chantilly cream, extra virgin olive oil, orange, whipped cream

Servings: 12 people

Equipment

• 1 9" springform pan Substitution: 9 x 2" cake pan
• electric mixer with whisk attachment
• 2 large mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Parchment paper
• pan release spray (PAM)
• rubber spatula
• cookie sheet
• aluminum foil
• waxed paper or cooling rack placed over a cookie sheet

Ingredients

CAKE

• 2 ⅛ cup all purpose flour 2 cups + 2 tbsp
• 1 ¾ cup sugar
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup orange juice fresh squeezed
• 2 tbsp orange zest
• 1 tbsp lemon zest

ORANGE SYRUP/CANDIED ORANGE SLICES

• 1 large orange sliced into thin 1/8" rings
• 2 ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup water

WHIPPED CREAM/CHANTILLY

• 2 cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

MAKING THE CANDIED CITRUS AND SYRUP

• Place the sliced oranges in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, drain, and repeat 2 more times. This will take the bitterness out of the peel. (See my tip below)
• Add sugar and water to the pot. Bring up the heat slowly until the sugar dissolves and the sugar/water mixture is simmering. Cook the oranges until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the candied orange slices and place on waxed paper or a cooling rack placed over a cookie sheet to catch any syrup that will drip off. Let cool and store until ready to use.
• Once the syrup has cooled, place into a container to store in the fridge until ready to use.

MAKING THE CHANTILLY CREAM

• Place heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Whip on high speed until firm peaks form. (See my tip below)
• Place chantilly cream into a container and store in the fridge until ready to use.

MAKING THE CAKE

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Spray the springform pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment. (See my tip below)
• Gather and measure the ingredients.
• Zest the citrus and set aside. One large orange and one large lemon should be enough.
• Squeeze the juice from the zested orange and set aside.
• Wrap the zested lemon with saran to keep fresh and use for another dish or put in the fridge.
• Place all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, citrus zests. Whisk together until blended.
• Place the wet ingredients into a large mixing bowl: olive oil, milk, buttermilk, orange juice, eggs. Whisk together until blended.
• Gradually add the dry mix into the wet mix and stir until thoroughly combined into a smooth batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the remaining batter from the mixing bowl and smooth the batter in the pan into an even layer.
• Place the pan into the oven and bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Place the pan onto a cooling rack. When cooled, carefully run a knife around the rim before opening the springlock. Gently remove the outer ring.

Notes

Preparing the springform cake pan: A springform pan tends to leak if it is old.  It doesn’t matter which side is up for the bottom insert, but you want the sides to fit snugly when the spring lock is closed. To test if your pan leaks, fill it with water. If you have some leakage, wrap aluminum foil around the bottom sides and seal tightly. For ease of taking the pan in and out of the oven, I like to place it on a cookie sheet. The sheet also will catch any leakage. Once the cake is cooled, carefully run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake from the sides. Gently open the spring lock and remove the ring. You can keep the cake on the bottom cake pan insert to serve or gently remove it. This is where having parchment paper on the bottom of the cake will come in handy. Gently insert a large spatula or icing spreader between the parchment and the metal. You want to keep the parchment liner on the bottom of the cake. Lift the cake until you can place your hand underneath the cake and help transport it to the storage container or presentation platter.

Chantilly/whipping cream: Chantilly is a fancy name for whipped cream made with powdered sugar and vanilla flavoring.  Before whipping the cream, place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer. A super cold bowl assures a good whip! If you are using a hand-held mixer, place a wet tea towel underneath the bowl to keep it from slipping on the counter. For this recipe, I like to whip the cream until firm peaks form. This will keep the whipped cream more stable if it is made ahead of time and stored. It will also hold its shape and make a lovely presentation when dolloped onto the dessert. Be careful – you can whip it until it becomes butter!  

Making candied citrus: Plan ahead to make the candied citrus and syrup before making the cake. The candied citrus and syrup can be kept for up to a week if stored in the fridge.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: For finishing dishes, making superior salad dressing or baking, a high-quality extra virgin olive oil is the best choice. Check the label to make sure that the olives are sourced from one country or region and not a blend from several countries or regions. Blended or bulk olive oil is usually of inferior quality and will taste bitter and harsh. I recommend you use blended or bulk EVOO for pan cooking and marinating meat and keep a bottle of high-quality EVOO in the pantry for special recipes.  Plain or mixed with balsamic vinegar, it makes a delicious dipping sauce for bread.