Baking
Olive Oil Citrus Cake
A tender single-layer cake perfumed with orange zest, good olive oil, and a whisper of almond.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
Olive oil cakes have a particular kind of grace: moist without being heavy, sweet without being cloying, and sturdy enough to keep beautifully for days.
Ingredients
Use a fruity olive oil you would happily taste from a spoon. It is the backbone of the cake.
Finishing touch
Serve with whipped mascarpone and macerated strawberries, or keep it plain with coffee in the afternoon.
How to make it
- 1
Rub orange zest into sugar with your fingertips until fragrant.
- 2
Whisk in eggs, then olive oil and milk.
- 3
Fold in flours, baking powder, and salt.
- 4
Pour into a lined 9-inch pan and bake at 350 F until deeply golden.
- 5
Cool in the pan before slicing.
Serving notes
Serve with a torn heel of good bread, a green salad sharp with lemon, and a glass of something cold. Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of pasta water.
Reviews
What cooks are saying
Reader notes
Made this on a Tuesday and my whole family went quiet at the table. The highest compliment.
Really lovely. I added a pinch of chili flakes for heat and it worked beautifully.
The instructions were clear and the timing was accurate.
This tasted like something from a little neighborhood trattoria. Simple, cozy, and very repeatable.
I appreciated the exact visual cues. Mine came out right on the first try.
