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
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Tried this today and absolutely LOVED it! I don’t know why, but it took an extra 7-8 minutes in the oven to fully cook. I substituted the sugar with Xylitol (plant-based sweetener) and it was delicious and moist. Literally bookmarked this recipe the moment I took the first bite 🙂
Awesome, Tara…so glad you enjoyed it! As for timing, did you use the bundt cake pan or regular cake pan b/c that would affect it. In any case, glad to hear your substitution worked out. Thanks for the review 💚
hello! i have been quietly loving your recipes for a few months now… a question: do you think it is possible to make this gluten/dairy free? i generally use cashew or coconut milk all the time – and almond flour – the additives in “gluten free flour” are troubling to my partner’s digestive system. but… i miss cake!!!!
Hi Genevieve, thanks for the kind words 🙂 Sorry but I have not made this recipe with gf flour or dairy free. Could be an interesting experiment…let me know if you give it a go!
I’m thinking of adapting this recipe to make cupcakes for an upcoming birthday, do you think that would cause any issues?
Hi Sus, I haven’t tried that, but I wouldn’t hesitate either. I personally would do a test batch, since they’re for an event. Let me know if you do it! It’s a great recipe all around 🙂
Thank you for such a delicious recipe. I made it for the first time tonight and it came out nice and light, perfect! My husband and I both went back for seconds. This is going to be a regular in our house now!
Carlie…this makes my day!!! So glad you enjoyed it and THANK YOU for taking the time to let me know 🙂
YUM! Talk about decadent and delicious! Definitely perfect for baking season.
Thanks Bethany…yep, another one to bake this season 🙂
This cake is beautiful, and the zest adds such a strong citrus flavor! So much brightness- perfect for a rainy day!
Thanks so much Katie!
This cake sounds delicious and looks lovely! That ganache is perfect. Can’t wait to bake this ASAP.
Thanks Amanda…hope you love this one!
This sounds purely decadent. This may make an appearance with on my Thanksgiving dessert table!
Yay Leslie! Hope you love it like I do! 🙂
Love how gorgeous this cake is! One slice will definitely not be enough!
Thanks Shadi! Love hearing that 🙂
Chocolate and orange is my favourite flavour combo, so I am totally on board with this. That chocolate drizzle has me drooling.
Thanks Dannii! Love hearing this, esp when you put it like that 🙂
Sweet recipe and story:) It’s hard not to fall in love with Spain. Your former chef would be proud. Lucky you to have oranges so close at hand, too!
Thanks so much! Can’t believe I’ve never been to Spain…it’s on my list! 🙂
This is gorgeous! I bet the combo of chocolate and orange tastes amazing.
Thanks so much Annemarie! You would be 100% correct about that flavor combo 🙂
What a gorgeous cake! I could go for a slice of this anytime, any place!
Thanks Sara! Love hearing that 🙂
I love the combination of chocolate and orange. This is my kind of dessert. Love the sprinkle of nuts on top. This would be delicious on any spring or Easter bunch buffet.
Oh I love the idea of an Easter Brunch dessert! Thanks for pointing out all the good stuff 🙂