I couldn’t be more pleased with the first cake I baked in the new year! Super soft, moist from the olive oil and yoghurt, fragrant with a hint of orange. A quick orange glaze adds more flavour but if you leave it out, the cake is absolutely delicious by itself too. Get a cup of hot coffee going, it’s great with a slice!

I was gifted The Perfect Cake cookbook this year for Christmas and immediately marked at least ten recipes to try. This cake is the first on that list, in part because of how easy and quick it is to make. The book says this kind of cake is popular in Spain and France, often combined with citrus but the version in the book is made without it. I of course, added fresh orange zest to the batter and switched up the glaze to make it thinner and less sugary so while it doesn’t set to a crackly consistency, it soaks a little bit into the top of the cake, adding more orange flavour.

I also halved the recipe to make it in a loaf pan and because there’s yoghurt in there, I swapped some of the baking powder for soda. This created the light and fluffy texture I’d hoped for but if you do want a tighter crumbed cake, I’ll add a note to the recipe below.

The more prominent flavour here is definitely the olive oil and I used extra-virgin which is stronger. If you’d prefer to use a mild or light olive oil, that’s fine too, especially if you’d like the orange to make its presence felt a little more. Allow the cake to cool completely because it’s so soft and moist, that cutting it while warm will cause it to break. I also love oil based cakes when cold from the fridge!

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Orange Olive Oil Cake

Soft and moist olive oil cake with orange zest and orange glaze

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 50

Makes: 10 slices

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Ingredients

For the cake

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp caster sugar (100 gms)
Zest of 1 orange
2 eggs at room temperature (see notes)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (140 ml)
1/2 cup plain yoghurt, at room temperature (115 gms) (I used homemade whole milk yoghurt)
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180 gms)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda (see notes)
Pinch of salt

For the glaze

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp icing sugar (50 gms)
2 tbsps fresh orange juice (30 ml)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175 C. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick baking paper, leaving a little overhang for easy removal.
In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest and rub them together to release more flavour from the orange. Add the eggs and whisk until lighter and frothy, about a minute. A balloon whisk is great for this recipe.
Next, whisk in the vanilla extract, olive oil and yoghurt until smooth.
Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold with a spatula to combine and if there are lumps, briefly run the whisk through the batter to smoothen it. Do not over-mix.
Pour into the prepared cake pan, smoothen the top and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden-brown and a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes then lift out using the paper overhang and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
To make the glaze, sift the icing sugar into a small bowl, add the orange juice and whisk till smooth and slightly runny. See notes for a thicker glaze.
Pour slowly over the cooled cake and let it rest for about 20 minutes. The glaze will soak slightly into the top of the cake.
Slice into 8 to 10 thick slices and cut each one further for smaller servings if desired. This cake is a little fragile since it's so moist, so make sure to cut it only when it's cool.
Store at room temperature for 3 to 4 days in an airtight tin. If it's warm where you live, this is best stored in the fridge after the first couple of days where it will keep for a week at least. I actually love oil-based cakes when cold from the fridge! Happy baking 🙂

Notes

Shop this recipe: Caster Sugar, Icing Sugar, Baking Paper, Mixing Bowl

*While I haven't tried it myself, you could use 1/2 cup olive oil instead of butter in this eggless recipe, along with adding the orange zest. If you try it, please let me know how it goes!

*The original recipe from The Perfect Cake uses only baking powder. I chose to use a little soda as well because when combined with an acidic ingredient like yoghurt, baking soda creates a lighter, fluffier texture which I love. However, if you'd prefer a tighter-crumbed cake, you can use an additional 1/2 tsp baking powder instead of the 1/4 tsp baking soda, for a total of 1.5 tsps baking powder. Read more about the differences here.

*Use a mild or light olive oil if you don't like the more dominant flavour of extra-virgin olive oil. You can also add the zest of two oranges for a stronger citrus flavour. The quantity of oil is what makes the cake so soft and moist so I don't recommend reducing it.

*This cake is delicious without the glaze. Adding it makes the top glossy and it soaks slightly into the cake for more orange flavour, without making it overly sweet. If you do like your glazes to be more firm and crackly, add more icing sugar, about 1/3 cup extra, to make a thick, spreadable rather pourable, glaze and let it set at room temperature.

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