This spiced orange olive oil cake has a little bit of everything. The loaf cake is bright with orange flavor, fragrant from the spice, and has the perfect amount of sweetness.
Seasonal Orange Olive Oil Cake Recipe
There is something about the winter being just the right time to make a citrus cake. With citrus fruit being in peak season, it just makes sense to bake the fresh oranges right into a cake — especially an olive oil cake. The bright flavor from the oranges complements the rich flavor of the oil, creating the perfect bite.
If your go-to cup of tea is orange spice, you'll be all over this cake. Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger mix into the cake batter to create a lovely spice flavor. It's warming, homey, and just what you want in the middle of winter.
Spiced Orange Olive Oil Cake Recipe
Olive oil in a cake may sound weird, but don't knock it until you try it. The oil actually works with the rest of the ingredients in the cake and keeps the crumb super moist. It adds a nice and subtle flavor to the cake that isn't overpowering.
With the spice and olive oil already in the batter, it may seem like the orange flavor will get lost. Don't worry, as it's quite the opposite. Only a few tablespoons of fresh orange juice in the loaf cake go a long way. The juices combine with the spices and olive oil, making the cake complete.
Loving citrus season? There's way more where that came from. Check out my blood orange citrus bars, lemon rosemary bundt cake, or brown sugar citrus cookies to fulfill all your winter citrus needs.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Bright and Refreshing - The orange flavors paired with the orange glaze turn this cake into a bright and refreshing bite.
- Leftovers - Is it possible that this cake tastes better the next day? Oh yeah! The crumb holds up and makes for excellent leftovers.
- Spicey - The cake is spicey — not in a hot way, but in a flavorful way. It's bold with warming notes.
Ingreidents Needed For Spiced Orange Olive Oil Cake
See below for all the details on what you'll need to make the full recipe.
- Oranges - Use fresh oranges for the best flavor.
- Warming spices - Cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, and ginger give the cake its signature spice.
- Olive oil - Adds a subtle flavor and makes a moist crumb.
- Eggs - 2 eggs, plus an egg yolk, is needed for the cake.
- Milk - Use whole milk for a rich flavor.
How To Make Spiced Orange Olive Oil Cake
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a loaf pan with parchment or grease. Set to the side.
- Dry Ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set to the side.
- Wet Ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, sugar, orange zest and juice, milk, and vanilla.
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Make sure there are no dry spots in the batter.
- Bake the cake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake the cake in the oven for 50-60 minutes.
- Make the glaze. While the cake is baking, make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, orange juice, and heavy cream. Mix until the glaze has reached the desired consistency.
- Cool and glaze. Let the cake completely cook in the pan. When the cake is cool, remove it from the pan and glaze the cake. Top the glaze with orange zest if desired.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead: This cake can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- To Store: The cake can be stored in an airtight container for 2-5 days. The dry crumb actually adds to the flavor of the cake and makes for an excellent snacking cake.
- To Freeze: The spiced orange olive oil cake can also be made and frozen. Freeze the cake whole or slice it and freeze it in an airtight container.
Tips and Variations
- Swap Out Oranges - Don't love oranges or want to use a different citrus fruit? Go ahead. Swap with lemons, blood oranges, or key limes.
- Fresh Orange Juice - Try to use fresh oranges for this recipe. If not, storebought can be used.
- Ginger - If you want a bolder flavor, use chopped crystalized ginger. About ¼ cup will create a great flavor.
FAQs
The olive oil in this spiced olive oil orange cake adds a subtle flavor but adds more to the texture.
If you find your oranges are making your cake bitter, you probably added too much of the white part in the zest. The white pith of the oranges has a bitter flavor.
Since this is an olive oil cake, you'll want to use olive oil. Regular oil in the cake will keep the moist crumb but won't contribute to the flavor.
Spiced Orange Olive Oil Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oranges, zested and juiced
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cardamom
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup whole milk
Orange Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp orange juice
- 2-3 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a loaf pan with parchment and grease. Set to the side.
- Zest and juice the oranges in seperate bowls.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set to the side.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar, eggs, zest, juice, milk, and vanilla. Mix to combine.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the olive oil mixture. Fold in the mixture until no dry spots are left.
- Add the batter to the prepared pan and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes.
- While the cake is baking, make the glaze. Combine the orange juice, heavy cream, and powdered sugar in a bowl. Whisk until desired consistency is reached.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan. When the cake is cool, take it out of the pan and pour the glaze on top. Top with orange zest if desired.
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