Orange Olive Oil Cake

Delicious baking: Orange Olive Oil Cake

This simple cake, perhaps to your surprise, is made with whole fresh oranges. Why, you may ask, but the reason is very simple: the skin contains so much flavor, like when you add orange zest to desserts. You want to catch that with the taste of the cake.

If you bake with oranges (or other citrus fruit) more often, you are now wondering how. It is not for nothing that you should always avoid the white part between the skin and the flesh because of the bitterness that gives. This cake has the solution: cooking the oranges removes the bitterness. And what you're left with is a very concentrated orange flavor. Delicious!

What a delightfull cake! The cake has a full orange flavor and is still airy, creamy, and moist, mainly because of the olive oil. A perfect cake for winter!

This delicious orange cake is based on a recipe I came across on the web, and it was published in a cookbook by Saveur: Italian comfort.

What do you need for Olive Oil Orange Cake (Dairy-Free)?

To prepare this Orange Olive Oil Cake, you require the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:

Ingredients Orange cake

• Oranges: Gives a fruity, fresh citrus flavor to the cake.
• Sugar: For sweetening the cake.
• Flour: Use all-purpose flour.
• Baking powder: Makes the cake rise, and airy.
• Vanilla Extract: For a hint of vanilla flavor. If you can get it, use natural vanilla extract, which has a slightly deeper flavor than artificial vanilla extract. With this recipe, you can make a homemade vanilla extract (and, if you bake a lot, it is highly recommended because you can use this for a reasonable amount of time).
• Baking soda: Also called baking soda or bicarbonate of soda. Makes the cake airy. It is stronger than the same amount of baking soda. Baking soda always requires an acid (orange juice) to work.
• Eggs: Provide a full flavor to the cake and bind the batter.
• Olive oil: Use an extra-virgin olive oil with a fruity flavor.

Ingredients Glaze and Topping

• Orange juice: Gives extra orange flavor to the cake. Fresh orange juice gives the best flavor
• Confectioner's sugar: For sweetening the icing.
• Coarse sea salt (or Fleur de Sel): A perfect counterpart to the sweet cake. Use coarse sea salt or Fleur de Sel. Fleur de Sel is the purest salt (and also the most expensive salt) and gives a delicious taste.

How to prepare Whole Orange Cake with Olive Oil

You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.

1. Wash the oranges and remove the top and bottom. Cut the rest into thin slices and remove the seeds. Put 6 cups (1500 ml) of water in a large pan and bring to a boil. Divide the orange slices over the pan and bring to the boil. Drain. Remove the orange slices and set aside. Repeat this step. Finally, put 4 cups (1000 ml) of water with 1 cup (200 grams) of sugar in the pan. Bring to a boil. Add the orange slices and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Remove the candied orange slices from the pan and place in the food processor. Pulse until you have coarse cubes. Place in a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, eggs, and olive oil, and mix with a mixer on high for three minutes. The batter is then airy and creamy.
3. Brush a 9-inch spring form pan (23 cm) with olive oil and dust with flour. Place a parchment paper that you have cut round at the bottom. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Place the spring form cake pan in the preheated oven at 350 °F (180 °C) and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and cooked. Let cool for 5 minutes, and remove the spring form.
4. Mix orange juice with confectioner's sugar for a simple orange glaze. Place the cake on a wire rack and prick holes in the top with a skewer. Using a pastry brush, brush the icing over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the salt over the cake and let it cool to room temperature.

3 x Cake