A Simple & Citrusy Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake Recipe
If you love citrus desserts, this blood orange olive oil cake recipe is a must-try. The combination of fresh blood orange juice, orange zest, and extra-virgin olive oil creates a moist, flavorful, and delicious cake. It’s easy to make, comes together in just a few bowls, and is perfect for breakfast and morning coffee, dessert, or an afternoon snack. And since it’s still winter citrus fruits season, now is the perfect time to try it.
Why use olive oil in cake?
Instead of using butter or vegetable oil as the cake’s fat, try olive oil. The effect is a more tender, moist cake. When it comes to taste, butter is far superior to vegetable oil. But when you substitute olive oil, the flavor impact is dramatic – especially when you mix the olive oil with citrus. Olive oil on its own can sometimes be a bit overpowering, but when you mix it with the citrus (blood orange juice and zest in this recipe), it tames the overpowering flavor of olive oil.
What size pan will I need?
I grew up with a lot of loaf cakes, and I remember asking my mom why she couldn’t make it a round cake. I don’t recall if she ever answered me, but, to this day, I almost always use a round cake pan.
As a child, I often drew things like cakes. And never once did I draw or paint a loaf pan cake. It was always a round cake on a cakestand. Usually, the cake would have a scalloped design on the top and bottom, and it always had candles. A round cake just makes it seem fancy, but in a simple way. Do you agree? It doesn’t even have to be a layered cake, just a round cake.
A recipe like this often calls for a loaf pan, but given my love of round cakes, I used small round pans and made two cakes for a layered cake. But use the pan of your preference and what feels right to you. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Make sure to adjust the baking time as necessary.
Most olive oil cakes call for some kind of liqueur like Grand Marnier
Since we didn’t have any on hand, we just used blood orange juice and a bit of vanilla extract.
One of the things I love about this cake is that you don’t need a stand mixer (except for the frosting)
Here is the minimal equipment that you need:
- Cooking spray
- 2 or 3 bowls (maybe one for the icing)
- Whisk or a spoon
- Cake pan (I used two round 6″ pans, but you could use a 9″ round pan or a loaf pan)
- Parchment paper
- Rubber spatula
The ingredients for blood orange olive oil cake
For the cake:
- Obviuosly, you’ll need extra virgin olive oil and a few blood oranges for the zest and juice (you could use regular oranges if you can’t find blood oranges)
- Granulated sugar
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Flour
- Baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- For the glaze: powdered sugar, blood orange juice
For the butter cream frosting:
- Butter softened to room temperature
- Milk (or heavy cream)
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Blood orange juice
- Salt to taste
For the candied blood orange zest:
- Thick peels of orange zest (cut into matchstick-size strips)
- Sugar
- Water
Easy Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake
This is an easy cake that requires no special equipment, not even a mixer. It comes together very quickly and is out of the oven in 30 minutes! You decorate with a little sifted powdered sugar or make a glaze with a little blood orange juice.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup sugar (white or palm sugar)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup bloog orange juice
- Zest from one blood orange
For the butter cream frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/4 tablespoons fresh blood orange juice
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Pinch of salt to taste
For the candied blood orange zest:
- 1 blood orange (orange peels cut into thin matchstick-sized strips)
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (more sugar to cover bottom of a flat bowl)
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350º.
- Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and spray the pan and parchment paper with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, add the zest to the sugar and mix together.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar to the rest of the flour mixture (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt). Whisk together and create a well in the center.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the eggs, olive oil, juice, and Greek yogurt and whisk together until smooth.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk or stir to combine until all dry ingredients are blended.
- Pour batter into the prepared cake pan, place the pan in the center of the oven rack and bake for 30 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the cake is golden brown and a cake tester is inserted into the center of the cake and it comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven to a wire rack and let the cake cool to room temperature.
- Transfer the cakes when cooled to a large cutting board.
- Make the butter cream frosting.
- Make the candied blood orange zest (optional)
- With a serrated knife, slice the tops of both cakes.
- Place a small scoop of frosting in the center of your cake stand. Take one cake and place it on top of the icing with the cut side up.
- Spread a healthy layer of butter cream frosting on the cut portion of the cake. Invert the other cake and place on top of the frosting.
- Add a generous amount of the icing to the top of the cake, spread the frosting evenly with a few swirls, top with the candied blood orange zest if using, and serve.
- Store the leftovers on your countertop in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
For the butter cream frosting:
- Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat for approximately 2 minutes on low speed.
- With the mixer running, add the confectioners’ sugar, blood orange juice, and milk and beat for another 2 minutes. Add more milk or sugar if needed to get the right consistency for easily spreading on top of the cake.
- Add a pinch of salt and test for taste.
For the candied blood orange zest:
- Add water and sugar to a small pot and bring to a simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the zest strips to the simmering water and simmer for about 15 minutes. The zest will turn a deep, dark color.
- With a slotted spoon, remove zest strips from water to a plate.
- Quickly transfer the zest strips to a bowl with sugar in the bottom and toss the strips until coated with sugar.
- Transfer the strips from the sugar to a sheet pan lined with was paper and let them fully dry (about 30 minutes)
Holy cow….THAT CAKE! I could go for a piece right now!
I think you must have to put a glass inside the wicker vase if you want to put something fresh in it…which I don’t mind!
Great post!
LOOKS DELIOUS AND I WILL MAKE IT!
Annie what a lot of fun things. I just adore your cake. I love olive oil cakes and with the blood orange, so yummy as well as lovely! That grill is pretty cool. I am wondering if Jackson would use one in his apartment patio too. Good for you doing the sauna. I think they are so good for you and jacuzzis are also.. I agree that wicker vase is so cool! xo
Patrick is using it this weekend at this apartment! I think Jackson would love it! It’s really nice…nicer than ours in the backyard!
That cake is absolute perfection. The rose petals take it from wonderful to AMAZING!!! I think I need to spend some time in the steam room, sounds like I could use the benefits! That vase is really great for the price, isn’t it?
I can see this vase in your house!
Beautiful! I love that you don’t need a mixer AND no waiting for butter to soften – this is a keeper!