This Orange Olive Oil Cake Recipe is a Spanish inspired cake made with extra virgin olive oil, orange juice, orange peel, dark chocolate ganache, and toasted almonds. It’s a simple cake recipe that offers a unique flavor profile and all the benefits of those healthy dietary fats we hear about!
Orange Olive Oil Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache
This olive oil cake recipe was adapted from Penelope Casas La Cocina De Mama Spanish cookbook.
My interest in Spanish cuisine began years ago when I worked at former, St. Louis Modesto Tapas Restaurant, owned and operated by Chef Grace Dinsmore and Marcia Recks.
In this environment, I had direct access to some of the best flavors I had ever eaten and, let me tell you, I nerded out on all things Spanish cuisine.
After living in Northern California for a few years, I missed my Modesto tapas so much, I went crazy on library cookbooks and tested my hand at preparing Spanish cuisine.
One of my favorite finds was an Orange Olive Oil Cake recipe.
Before I found Penelope’s recipe, it never occurred to me to use olive oil in a cake recipe…not even during my years working in a bakery.
How do you use olive oil in a cake recipe?
Any cake recipe or cake mix that calls for vegetable or canola oil can be substituted with extra virgin olive oil in equal amounts.
The smoke point of a high quality, extra virgin olive oil is around 400°.
This cake recipe bakes at 325°, so we’re all good for this one!
What olive oil is best for baking?
While extra virgin olive oil is agreeably more expensive than conventional oils like canola or vegetable oil, the flavor and said health benefits are easily offset by those values, in my mind.
That said, plain olive oil (i.e., not extra virgin) can certainly be used in my olive oil cake recipe, but it isn’t recognized as a heart-healthy oil.
The original recipe doesn’t call for a chocolate ganache.
That is my own adaptation to an already beautiful recipe.
I use the microwave method for the ganache. You’ll find it in the recipe card below.
It’s so easy and almost foolproof, as long as you don’t boil it…so, don’t do that.
How to make orange olive oil bundt cake with dark chocolate ganache:
1. combine cake ingredients, pour into prepared pan, and bake
2. make the ganache while cake is baking
3. cool the cake
4. ganache drizzle fo shizzle!
5. sprinkle orange peel and toasted, sliced almonds over cake
6. devour!
Orange Olive Oil Bundt Cake Ingredients:
For the cake:
- orange juice
- extra virgin olive oil
- orange zest
- almond extract
- cake flour
- baking powder
- sea salt
- eggs
- sugar
For the topping:
- 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips
- heavy cream
- butter
- sliced almonds
- orange zest
Tools I used for this recipe:
- measuring cup
- mixing bowls
- zester
- bundt cake pan
Orange Olive Oil Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup White Sugar
- 3/4 cup Orange Juice
- 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Orange Zest
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
For the dark chocolate ganache:
- 1/2 cup Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
- 1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Instructions
For the cake: (yields 5 cups batter)
- Preheat oven to 350°; prepare an 8-cup cake pan with oil and dusting of flour.
- In a mixing bowl, sift together FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, and SALT; set aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, blend EGGS and SUGAR on low speed until well-combined.
- Add ORANGE JUICE, OLIVE OIL, ORANGE ZEST, and ALMOND EXTRACT; blend on low speed until combined.
- Add half of the dry flour mixture to wet ingredients; blend on low speed to incorporate; then add other half of dry flour mixture and blend until just combined (do not overmix).
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan, place in preheated oven, and bake 25 minutes.
- Remove cake from oven and toothpick test for doneness (bake another 5 minutes, if needed). When cake is done, place on a cooling rack until cake is cool to the touch. Gently turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
For the chocolate ganache topping:
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt CHOCOLATE and HEAVY CREAM on a medium power setting in one or two minute increments; remove bowl after each increment and whisk to combine; repeat steps until fully combined. Spread or drizzle chocolate ganache over cake as desired.Optional: garnish with sliced almonds, orange zest, or strawberries.
- Pro tip: If the ganache is too thick, whisk in a splash of heavy cream and microwave another minute or so. If it's too thin, fold in a few chocolate chips and microwave another minute or so.
Serving and Storage Instructions
- Serve olive oil cake at room temperature for optimal texture. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, or refrigerated, up to 2 days.
RECIPE NOTES
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy and are estimates based on unbranded ingredients acquired from a nutrition database. For accurate calculations, please refer to brand packaging information and consult your nutritionist.
Nutrition
Traci Antonovich
Latest posts by Traci Antonovich (see all)
- Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - 07/15/2019
- Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps - 07/12/2019
- Vegan Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry - 07/07/2019
genevieve says
03/03/2019 at 11:36 amTraci Antonovich says
03/04/2019 at 12:36 pmSus says
02/03/2019 at 12:53 amTraci Antonovich says
02/03/2019 at 8:38 amCarlie says
02/02/2019 at 11:21 pmTraci Antonovich says
02/03/2019 at 8:05 amBethany | A Simple Palate says
09/10/2018 at 9:40 amTraci Antonovich says
09/12/2018 at 8:19 amKatie says
09/10/2018 at 9:35 amTraci Antonovich says
09/12/2018 at 8:18 amAmanda says
09/10/2018 at 9:33 amTraci Antonovich says
09/12/2018 at 8:18 amLeslie says
09/10/2018 at 9:04 amTraci Antonovich says
09/12/2018 at 8:17 amShadi Hasanzadenemati says
09/10/2018 at 8:59 amTraci Antonovich says
09/12/2018 at 8:17 amDannii says
02/13/2018 at 8:10 amTraci Antonovich says
02/13/2018 at 9:52 amBoastful Food says
02/13/2018 at 8:09 amTraci Antonovich says
02/13/2018 at 9:52 amAnnemarie says
02/13/2018 at 7:58 amTraci Antonovich says
02/13/2018 at 9:51 amSara says
02/13/2018 at 7:42 amTraci Antonovich says
02/13/2018 at 9:49 amAli from Home & Plate says
02/13/2018 at 7:39 amTraci Antonovich says
02/13/2018 at 9:49 am