Orange and Olive Oil Cake
Moist and so delicious, this orange and olive oil cake is bursting with fruity flavors from fresh orange juice! It can be made 2 days ahead – letting it sit brings out the best flavor of the cake!
Ingredients
- 4 pieces large navel oranges, finely grate the orange rind and set aside the zest then squeeze all the oranges to get about 1 cup of juice
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2½ cups white sugar
- 1 cup light or fruity olive oil, (get the fresh and fruity olive oil or use the light olive oil NOT extra-virgin as that's too intense)
- 1¼ cup cranberries, coarsely chopped (optional but great for holiday season)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a light-colored bundt or tube pan (at least the 10-12-cup one) and set aside. You can also use two loaf pans (9×5). Make sure that you use light-colored bundt/tube or loaf pans as the dark ones don’t work well for this. The cake gets too dark.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- A stand mixer would be quite handy for this though a handheld one will also do (use a large mixing bowl). Beat the eggs in the mixing bowl on medium speed for about 1 minute or until combined.
- Get the sugar and slowly pour it in and continue to beat for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture thickens and becomes a pale yellow. Adjust the speed to low and then alternately mix in the flour mixture and the olive oil – begin and end with the flour. I divide the flour mix into three parts when I do this and then pour olive oil in between.
- Pour in the orange juice and beat the batter quickly just until everything is combined. Stop the mixer. Fold in the zest. Use a spatula to scrape the batter on the sides of the bowl and incorporate it with the rest then beat again, just for a few seconds, to ensure an even mix.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55-60 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs on it. For the loaf pan, bake for about about 45-50 mins. Check after about 40-45 minutes, in either case, to see if the top is browning too much. If that happens simply cover lightly with a foil and continue to bake until the cake is done. Using a lighter colored pan would diminish the darkening of the cake as it bakes.
- Remove from the oven and place it in a cooling rack. Cool for about 30-40 mins in the pan before removing it to ensure that the cake does not break when you transfer it. Cool completely in a rack. Dust with confectioner’s sugar, if desired.
Notes
TIPS & TRICKS
The amount of sugar is correct. There’s a lot of oil used and it’s a big cake, too and that amount of sweetness is required to balance the flavors. But, if you wish you can adjust the sweetness to your liking and try 2 cups first and see if it works for you. Thank you!
Using a lighter colored pan would diminish the darkening of the cake as it bakes so use that if possible.
Patience is a virtue — do not even think about touching it (I know it’s tempting but don’t!) or eating it until at least after a day. The second day, if you can wait, is even better. This cake is worth the wait. I just leave the cake in the kitchen for the waiting period (and pretend it’s not there so I am not tempted to eat it!) but in the Philippines where the weather is warmer, perhaps it’s better to place it in the fridge though you may want it to reach room temp before you eat it. Trust me, it's worth all the effort as it's such a delicious cake!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!