This orange cardamom olive oil cake recipe is simple, delicious, and laced with bold flavors of bright orange and fragrant cardamom! The use of olive oil makes for a superior moist texture and irresistibly rich taste.
I’m a big fan of using oranges in both sweet and savory recipes. A quick search of the site and you will find oranges used in my refreshing Mediterranean orange and pomegranate salad, hearty orange harissa lamb chops, and even mixed into red sangria! However, one of my favorite ways to use oranges is in desserts.
So, of course, when I wrote The Mediterranean Dish cookbook, I had to include this recipe for my citrusy orange olive oil cake! The perfect fusion of sweet and savory flavors, this olive oil cake recipe features bright, bold notes of orange along with a subtle sweetness and warm notes from the cardamom. One bite, and you’ll be hooked!
This is not your typical super sweet icing-topped cake. Due to the olive oil this cake stays moist and tender for days, which means it’s a good make ahead option for larger gatherings. It’s a delightful treat for holiday dinners, weekend brunch, and everything in between.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
This orange cardamom olive oil cake requires just a few baking staples, fresh oranges, and cardamom. Here’s everything you’ll need to bring it to life:
- Extra virgin olive oil: Good quality, fruity or more neutral-tasting olive oil like our California olive oil is perfect in this cake. Subtle and delicious, it helps enhance the orange flavor and provides moisture without overwhelming the taste of the cake.
- All-purpose flour: To form the base of the batter. You can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour alternative if needed. Your cake will be slightly more dense but just as scrumptious!
- Kosher salt: A crucial flavor enhancer, bringing out the natural taste of the rest of the ingredients.
- Baking powder: Used in combination with baking soda to help the cake rise.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is my go-to here to magnify the sweetness of the orange.
- Ground cardamom: One of the more pungent spices in Mediterranean cooking, cardamom is a fairly warm spice with subtle lemony undertones that pair beautifully with orange, chocolate cake, and beyond!
- Eggs: Help provide structure to the cake.
- Orange: Both orange zest and orange juice are used for an utterly irresistible recipe.
- Milk: Use whole milk or a plant-based alternative to combine the ingredients and create a smooth batter.
- Confectioner’s sugar: Also called powdered sugar, this is technically optional but highly recommended for sprinkling on top to add a little extra sweetness and create a picture-worthy presentation.
How to Make Orange Cardamom Olive Oil Cake
Prepare a 9-inch round cake pan: To prevent the cake from sticking, brush the bottom and sides of the cake pan with olive oil. Then, line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, and dust it with a bit of flour. Just be sure to shake off any excess.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cardamom.
Beat the wet ingredients with sugar: Combine 1 ½ cups of the sugar, and eggs in a separate bowl, and using the highest setting on a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the ingredients until they are thick and fluffy. With the blades running, drizzle in the olive oil. Once it is fully incorporated, reduce the speed to low, and add ½ the orange zest, orange juice, and milk. Beat again until the ingredients are smooth.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Working slowly, incorporate the flour mixture into the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix on low just until you have a uniform batter, and be careful not to overmix! Otherwise, your cake will turn out dense and tough, and no one wants that!
Bake the cake: Pour the prepared olive oil cake batter into the pan, and sprinkle the top with the rest of the sugar. Bake until the center is set. It’s important to note that every oven bakes differently. So, be sure to keep a close eye on your cake, and begin checking it after 30 minutes! You’ll know it’s done baking when a skewer can be inserted into the center and comes out clean.
Cool and serve: Once removed from the oven, allow the orange olive oil cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. To ensure it comes out intact, run a small knife all the way around the edge of the pan. Then, invert the cake onto a large plate, and invert it once more, flipping it right side up onto a rack to finish cooling. To finish, a dust with powdered sugar and sprinkle a little orange zest.
Why Use Olive Oil in Cake
You know I love my olive oil! I’ve used it in recipes like my banana walnut bread, Italian apple olive oil cake and chocolate olive oil cake. However, I’m still asked quite frequently whether or not it can be used in baking.
To help answer your questions about olive oil, I wrote this extensive guide on How to Cook with Olive Oil. It’s a staple of the Mediterranean Diet and I will forever celebrate its value. If you want to go deep read that guide. For the short answer yes, you can bake cakes with olive oil and here’s why.
- Kept at room temperature, olive oil is a liquid and therefore adds unmatched levels of moisture to cake over time, allowing it to stay tender longer than if it was made with butter.
- Using any olive oil in place of butter reduces the amount of saturated fat found in the recipe. It replaces that fat with heart-healthy monounsaturated fat which can improve cholesterol among other benefits listed here.
- High-quality extra virgin olive oil adds a rich, slightly fruity flavor to this recipe without being overbearing.
That said, it’s extremely important to choose a high-quality olive oil with a flavor profile complementary to the other ingredients.
For instance, you don’t want a strong peppery olive oil like Early Harvest Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is primarily used in savory recipes like my simple herb-tossed sweet potato recipe. Instead, opt for a fruity, delicately flavored variety like our California olive oil to enhance the sweet fruity flavors.
What to Serve with Orange Olive Oil Cake
Where I grew up, people love their tea time. This olive oil cake makes for the perfect sweet treat to accompany an afternoon cup of Arabic tea with fresh mint. Or, serve it at a cocktail party alongside carajillo, a Spanish spiked coffee drink.
Although this olive oil cake is fantastic as is a little something extra can really bring out the wow factor! Sometimes, I just can’t help myself!
For a truly show stopping dessert try:
- Add a dollop of whipped cream
- Dust with powdered sugar
- A spoonful of vanilla yogurt is always nice
- Top with fresh fruit such as orange segments, candied orange peels, blueberries, or even cranberries for a festive twist! Yum!
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Orange Cardamom Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, fruity, more neutral-tasting, plus extra for the pan
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 ½ cups plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- Grated zest of 2 oranges, plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk or plant-based alternative
- 2 tablespoons sifted confectioners’ sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the oven: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the baking pan: Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with a little olive oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and dust with a bit of the flour, shaking out the excess.
- Mix together dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Beat the wet ingredients with sugar: In a large bowl, combine the 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, cardamom, and eggs. Using an electric hand mixer set on high, beat the mixture until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use a stand mixer on high speed). While the mixer is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and beat until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and add half the orange zest, the orange juice, and milk. Beat until smooth.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix on low just until you have a uniform batter.
- Bake the cake: Pour the cake batter into the pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (ovens do vary, so check your cake at 30 minutes and go from there).
- Cool the cake: Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then run a small knife around the edge, invert the cake onto a large plate, then invert again onto a rack to cool completely.
- Serve: Before serving, dust the cake with powdered sugar and sprinkle with orange zest.
Video
Notes
- Make ahead. Olive oil keeps cakes tender and moist for longer, which makes this recipe an easy choice for holiday menu planning. Make it a day or to in advance and it will still taste fresh when your guests arrive.
- Olive oil is truly wonderful in baking recipes, but you want to use the right kind because olive oil is as nuanced as wine. You want something mild and fruity for this cake like our California Arbequina olive oil. Stay away from spicy or peppery flavors like our Spanish Hojiblanca olive oil. I prefer to use that in more savory dishes.
- Swap it. If you don’t have cardamom on hand try cinnamon. It’s a natural pairing with orange. You can try it in our Orange Cinnamon Challah French Toast recipe.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, spices, and more.
Just made this today and it is so good! Easy to make and the flavor is wonderful. Only comment is in the directions steps 3 and 4 both say to add the cardamom. I watched the video and followed that but just an FYI.
Thanks for catching that, Christina! It’s been corrected.
The flavor and texture of this cake were amazing. I did notice a pooled layer of olive oil within the cake. Not sure where I went wrong but other than looking odd it didn’t effect the cake itself. Is that normal?
I made this for a Christmas brunch with friends. I served it with a cranberry orange sauce and whipped cream. The middle was a little undercooked so next time I’ll bake it in a 10 inch pan. It was so delicious and everyone wanted the recipe. I’ll make this again for sure.
Making this for Christmas. I never use zest because I don’t like orange peel. Has anyone tried making it without the zest?
This cake looks fabulous, especially for the holidays. Can it be made ahead and frozen?
Sure, Elaine! When you’re ready to eat it, just thaw in the fridge overnight. Hope you enjoy it!
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday and he loved it and so did the rest of the family! I love all your receipes that I have made so far. You are an amazing cook and I love your humor too. Thank you so much. 🙂
Thanks so much, Marge!
Can I leave this on the kitchen counter for a day or two? It’s the orange cardamom olive oil cake and it is delicious!
Absolutely!
This cake was a hit with my family and co workers! It is soooo delicious!! And so easy to make!
Glad to hear it, Melissa! Thank you so much!
Did anyone else find there was too much batter for a 9 inch cake pan?
Literally one of the best cakes I’ve ever had – such a great texture, and the flavor is slightly sweet, fruity from the orange and olive oil, and spicy (I substituted cinnamon and ginger for the cardamom). Really well balanced, and I’m excited to make it for the holidays!
So glad you enjoyed it, Sarah!
Would love to try this but being intolerant to sugar is there any alternatives i could use?
Hi, Nicola. We haven’t tested this using a sugar alternative, but many readers have commented that a handful work well with our apple olive oil cake, so they might be worth a try here: stevia, Splenda, guava, honey, etc. If you give any of these a try, would you please come back and let us know how it went?
Susie- the video and the directions are different. Your directions place the cardamom with the dry ingredients, and the video with the wet. Also, just wondering why you flour the parchment paper. I’m sure it doesn’t make a difference where the cardamom is placed, but I’m sure you would like the recipe to match the video.
The flavor is amazing. I made it with a 1:1 gluten free substitute flour and almond milk and it is delicious. It rose a lot more than I anticipated and I did increase the cooking time by a total of 10 minutes (convection oven on regular “bake” setting, cake pan in a jelly roll pan). I’ll be making this often!
Thanks for sharing, Linda!
Thank you for posting your alternative ingredients.
Our pleasure, Gisele. Glad you found that helpful.
This cake seems to be quite high in fat and cholesterol. I thought Mediterranean cooking was heart healthy?
Hi, Leah. In general, Mediterranean cooking is quite healthy, but there are things, such as desserts, in every type of cuisine that will be a bit more indulgent. And just a bit of a disclaimer about our website, while all of our recipes are Mediterranean inspired, not every single one follows the guidelines of the “Mediterranean Diet”. We have indicated those that do, though, on our site.
Hi Suzy,
I’d love to try your olive oil cake recipe. But I can’t measure flour by volume. Could you please give equivalent in grams? I am sure lots of your fans will truly appreciate it and bake the cake without any hesitation once they have exact amounts of flour and sugar that go into the cake.
Thanks a bunch for sharing your awesome recipes with us ❣
Hi, Irina. Thanks for reaching out. I’m so sorry we don’t have metric measurements for this recipe available. We do try to add them when we can, but we just haven’t found the right metric conversion tool for every recipe on our website quite yet. It’s something we’re working on solving. In the meantime, there are several online conversation calculators out there you might find helpful, such as this one.
I completely agree: MUST have metric measurements for all recipes in the world! Thanks for trying do that for yours.
I would love to make this but can’t have the sugar. Could I substitute with something?
Hi, Lavinia. A sugar substitute, such as stevia, might work here. We have not tested this recipe with a substitute, so I can’t help with a conversion, but if you’ve previously used something like that in place of sugar in baking, it should work.
Absolutely delicious!! I tried this recipe from your new cookbook that I got for myself for my Birthday in September!! I use your recipes from the book and your website almost every day!! It’s amazing how every single recipe that you have is always sooo perfect!! Thank you so much for everything you do!! ~ Heather
Thank YOU, Heather :).