Olive Oil Orange Cake
I call this cake a grownup cake. Not because it is not fun and childlike, but because the flavors are a little bit more subtle and mature like a grown up. HA!! No, seriously, this is a knock out cake! It’s dense, with just a hint of sweetness to it. The flavor of orange comes shining through, especially when it’s served with some beautifully sliced oranges that we toss with a little Cointreau, just to make the cake extra orangey. It is the perfect way to end a meal, but is also a way to start your day accompanied with a cup of coffee or as an afternoon pick-me-up with tea. No matter which way you slice it, this is a cake to add to your baking repertoire.
Ingredients
- 1 T Butter room temperature
- 1 T All-Purpose Flour
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup Sugar
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 T Baking Powder
- 1 T Orange Zest
- 3 T Orange Juice
- ¾ cup Good Quality Olive Oil
- 2/3 cup Milk
- Confectioner’s Sugar for dusting
- 4 Oranges peeled, sliced into ½ moons
- 2 T Granulated Sugar
- 4 T Cointreau or Grand Marnier
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º F. Using the 1T butter and 1T flour, grease and flour the bottom and sides of a10-inch angel food or Bundt cake pan.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes, until light in color.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour, baking powder, orange zest, juice, olive oil and milk; mix just until combined. Do not over mix! Use a spatula to finish combining, if needed. (Mixture will look lumpy similar to muffin batter)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, and then turn onto cooling rack to cool completely
- When completely cool, dust with confectioner’s sugar.
- In a small bowl, toss the orange slices, sugar and liqueur let sit for 10 minutes. Serve with cake.
Notes
Tips & Tricks:
– I love this cake because it’s so versatile. It’s just sweet enough to end a meal, but perfect to start your day with or as a pick-me-up with a cup of tea in the afternoon. Top it with macerated fruit. I used blood oranges, but you could use regular oranges, tangerines, or substitute the oranges and use berries (about 2 cups). You can add a dollop of whipped cream, ice cream or yogurt to make it extra special.
– You can substitute the orange zest and juice for lemons, especially Meyer lemons are great in this cake.
– Use an olive oil that has a nice fruity flavor. I prefer Italian or boutique olive oil from Napa or Temecula Calf are lovely, some are infused with citrus and add a nice additional citrus punch.