Orange Cardamom Olive Oil Cake

This orange olive oil cake recipe is so simple to make and incorporates cardamom spice to help enhance the bright flavor of the fresh oranges! The olive oil used in this recipe ensures a tender crumb that lasts for days after you make it! 

I use citrus fruits in both desserts and meals but for the fall, I wanted to mix a citrus fruit with a warm spice to create a delicious dessert for the cooler weather. This olive oil orange cake is a little bit different than your normal dessert because the cardamom really shines through in this cake. It has subtle peppery and citrus notes that pair well with the bright orange flavor. The olive oil ensures a moist crumb and the type of olive oil you use is actually very important or this recipe. 

You will want to use an Extra Virgin Olive Oil because of its fruity flavor which tastes amazing in recipes that have fruit. It helps enhance those flavors and provide a rich moistness to your cake. I like using Mina’s Single Origin Moroccan Extra Virgin Olive Oil  for these exact reasons. It is single origin made from olives grown on a family farm in Morocco, which means it is a pure olive oil and it has a mild flavor that will not be too overpowering in your recipes. Moroccan olive oil is also known to be polyphenol rich. Polyphenols are known to have various health benefits such as improving heart health, lowering diabetes risk, and boosting brain function. 

Ingredients for Orange Cardamom Olive Oil Cake 

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Using a good quality olive oil is very important for the texture of this cake! I used Mina Single Origin Moroccan Extra Virgin Olive Oil  for this recipe. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil is highly recommended for a fruity and flavorful cake and to help enhance the citrus notes from the orange. 

• Oranges: I recommend using fresh orange juice in this recipe and you will also need fresh orange zest. I used blood oranges for the cake topping but this is optional! 

• Cardamom: This warm spice has a subtle citrus undertone which is perfect for this orange cake. 

• Milk: I used whole milk but 2% works too!

• Eggs: We will use whole eggs to help bind the ingredients together and give the cake good structure.
• White Sugar: To balance the tartness of the oranges.

• Greek Yogurt: This gives the cake a soft crumb and makes a moist cake. You can also swap this for sour cream or do a half and half combination of them both!

• Baking Powder and Salt: Baking powder to help the cake rise evenly and salt to balance the overall flavor.

How to make Orange Cardamom Olive Oil Cake

1. Preheat oven:
   • Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9 inch cake pan or springform pan with parchment paper or cooking spay and set aside.
2. Prepare the dry ingredients:
   • In a large bowl, sift together your dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking powder). In a separate bowl, massage your sugar and orange zest together with your hands until fragrant.
3. Add wet ingredients:
   • Then add in your eggs one at a time and whisk for 5 minutes (or until white and fluffy).Then add in the milk, greek yogurt, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Continue to mix until smooth and well combined.
   • Add the juice of 1 orange then mix. Add in the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients in increments of 2 and fold with a spatula until the batter is just combined. As soon as you see no more of the flour mixture, stop mixing.
4. Bake the cake:
   • Pour batter to the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with a little bit of granulated sugar to create a sweet crust during baking. Put the pan in your preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the toothpick comes out mostly clean.
5. Cool, decorate, and enjoy:
   • Remove from oven and let the cake cool. Top with sifted  confectioners’ sugar and slice. Serve with fresh berries and drizzle the leftover blood orange syrup on top and enjoy! For instructions on how to make candied orange slices for the topping, read the recipe card below!

Tips and Tricks

• To measure flour without a scale, just fluff the flour with a spoon before you spoon it into your measuring cup. Then level it off with a butterknife. That way, your cake will be soft and fluffy instead of heavy and dense!
• Make sure your eggs, milk, and greek yogurt (or sour cream) is at room temperature before making this recipe. This will create a more even mixing process. If you forget to leave eggs out, just dunk them in some warm water for 5-10 minutes to warm up
• Zest the orange before you juice it! Do not zest the white part of the orange because it will be very bitter.
• Do not over-mix the cake batter! As soon as the last morsel of flour is incorporated, stop mixing! You do not want your cake to be rubbery and dense!
• Allow the cake to cool off for 10-15 minutes before removing it from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

How to Store

You can make this cake in advance then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days after! The olive oil helps this cake stay moist days later so it is perfect for bringing to your next gathering! Please leave a five star rating  below if you loved this recipe, and as always, poftă bună!