Olive Oil Cake with Orange Creme Fraiche
You’ll love this flavorful European Orange Olive Oil cake! It’s easy to make, uses simple ingredients and doesn’t require a lot of fancy ingredients or steps! Perfect as a Spring, Summer or Holiday dessert!
This recipe is different from Jim Lahey’s, Smitten Kitchen and Food52 olive oil cake recipes in that it has no alcohol – no Grand Marnier, no processed orange juice and no butter.
This easy orange cake relies on fresh orange zest and high-quality, orange infused extra virgin olive oil to provide a mild orange flavor and great texture you’ll love!
Why this recipe works
- Fresh flavor – fresh orange zest orange-infused extra virgin olive oil provide just the right amount of deliciousness
- Bake and serve – no need for frosting, icing or any type of topping; I like to serve it with a side of Orange Creme Fraiche, but this recipe can stand alone with no additional toppings
- If you want a little “something” on the top, sprinkle confectioners, or powdered sugar on top after the cake is cooled and garnish with fresh orange slices
- Not “over the top” sweet– This European dessert recipe is mild in flavor simply because that’s how European desserts are–not super sweet, like American desserts, but milder with more emphasis on fresh flavor and texture
Here’s what you’ll need
A key ingredient is the Orange-infused Extra-Virgin Olive oil. Some high-end retailers and specialty stores carry it, but if not, you can order it. You’ll also need:all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, eggs, milk and a little extra flour and spray oil for the prepared pan.
For the Creme Fraiche topping, you’ll need creme fraiche, a large navel orange, granulated sugar and salt.
You will need a hand or stand mixer.
Where to buy Orange infused olive oil
Any of these places offers orange olive oil. This recipe uses the Italian Orange fused olive oil from Grapevine Olive Oil company in Grapevine, Texas.
Their blend contains fused Italian Blood Oranges…just about as fresh as you can get! If you can’t find a high-quality fused orange oil, use a high-quality infused orange oil.
- Texas Hill Country Olive Company
- Grapevine Olive Oil Company (this is the best olive oil in my opinion)
- Amazon
Other than that, it’s pretty basic: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, table salt, eggs, navel oranges and milk (2% or whole)
How to make it
For full instructions, see recipe card below.
- In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and set aside
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer, whisk eggs for 1 minute or until frothy; add sugar and orange zest to eggs and whisk on high for 3 minutes
- Turn mixture to low speed and drizzle in olive oil (orange flavored olive oil)
- Add a cup of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients; combine, then add milk, continuing to whip ingredients together on medium speed; repeat until all of the flour is combined
- Pour the cake batter into prepared springform pan and bake @350°F 45-55 minutes, or until the center of the cake passes the clean toothpick test
- Transfer cake to cooling wire rack, slide a sharp knife underneath the cake and remove parchment paper; let the cake cool
- Make Orange Creme Fraiche topping and garnish with fresh orange slices
Recipe Tips
- Prepare the springform pan: grease the pan with oil, spray oil or shortening–apply to the inner ring and bottom; place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom; do not spray or coat the top of the parchment paper with anything
- For a clean release, sprinkle some plain sugar around the inner perimeter of the springform pan; this does two things: it adds a little sugar to the crust and it allows the cake to release easier
- If you don’t want to sprinkle the perimeter with sugar, don’t use anything else…no flour…just oil/shortening
- Slide a sharp knife around the sides of the pan before releasing the latch of the pan
- Allow cake to cool about an hour before removing the parchment from the bottom and transferring to a cake plate
- When slicing the cake, I recommend using a serrated knife
What’s the texture like?
The texture of this Orange Olive Oil cake is similar to a pound cake. Somewhat dense, it slices beautifully, and is nice and moist on the inside.
The upper crust is somewhat more crispy than a pound cake, which lends itself to a nice, clean slice!
Recipe FAQ
The primary difference is two ingredients: baking powder and fat (butter vs. olive oil)
The pound cake does not include baking powder, which is a leavening agent that makes the batter rise when baked. And, the pound cake uses butter as the fat, in lieu of olive oil.
This olive oil cake uses baking powder which is a combination of two leavening agents: baking soda and cream of tartar-both of these ingredients are in baking powder.
If you can’t find Creme Fraiche (this is usually in the delicatessen area of your grocery store), feel free to substitute with sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt (plain flavored).
Orange infused whipped creme fraiche adds the finishing touch to this classic citrus cake!
Storage
If you’re lucky enough to have any leftover cake, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it for up to three days on the counter; no need to refrigerate.
I like to serve this scrumptious cake with a dollop of Orange Creme Fraiche on top of the cake…it really enhances the love orange flavor! If you can’t find Creme Fraiche, use homemade whipped cream!
This delicious orange olive oil cake recipe comes together in no time and is the perfect cake for every day or special occasions
Related recipes
- Orange Italian Cream Cake
- Scandinavian Almond Cake
- Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
- Classic Southern Pecan Pie
- No Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
- Orange Creamsicle Icebox Pie
- Classic Buttermilk Pie
- Eggnog Pound Cake
- Pavlova with Strawberry Curd
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment! I love to hear from you!
Orange Olive Oil Cake
Equipment
- Springform Pan
- Parchment sheet (for bottom of pan)
Ingredients
Orange Olive Oil Cake
- 2 cups flour , all-purpose
- 1½ cups sugar , granulated
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt , table salt
- 3 whole eggs , large
- ¾ cup milk , whole or 2%
- ¾ cup orange olive oil , extra virgin
- 2 teaspoons orange zest , get 2 big navel oranges and zest
- a little sugar and spray oil for pan
Orange Creme Fraiche Whipped Topping
- 8 ounces creme fraiche See Recipe Notes
- 2 large navel oranges , zested and supremed
- 2 tablespoons sugar , granulated
- pinch of salt , table or fine (iodized) salt
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Oil or grease springform pan; place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom; do not spray the parchment paper; set aside : (option)- sprinkle sugar around the springform ringa little sugar and spray oil for pan
- Grate orange zest; set aside2 teaspoons orange zest
Make the Cake
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a big mixing bowl, use a stand or hand mixer set to medium speed and whisk eggs for 1-minute, until frothy3 whole eggs
- Add all of the sugar and orange zest to the eggs and increase speed to high; continue to whisk for 3 minutes1½ cups sugar, 2 large navel oranges
- Turn mixer to low and drizzle in olive oil while mixer is running¾ cup orange olive oil
- Add half of the flour mixture; combine, then add all of the milk; continue to whip until it begins to blend together (scrape sides of bowl with spatula while mixing)¾ cup milk
- Add the remaining flour mixture and whip until it is combined
- Pour into prepared spring foam pan
- Bake @ 350ºF on the middle rack for 40-55 minutes, or until the center is done (test with toothpick)
- When cake is done, transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes; after the cake has cooled a bit, slide a knife around the perimeter, undo the spring, remove the round side of the spring foam pan and let the cake cool for about an hour; gently remove parchment paper from the bottom before slicing and plating
- Slice cake into wedges and serve with Orange Creme Fraiche (optional)
Orange Creme Fraiche
- In a medium mixing bowl, add 8 ounces of creme fraiche8 ounces creme fraiche
- Zest two navel oranges; add zest to creme fraiche; add sugar and salt; stir2 teaspoons orange zest, 2 tablespoons sugar, pinch of salt
- Add fresh orange to creme fraiche: First,cut away orange peel; cut into small segments removing the white pith, dice into tiny pieces; strain in finely meshed colander; add to creme fraicheStir well; cover with plastic
- Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before serving with Orange Olive Oil Cake
Notes
- Add 1 cup of flour, mix, add all of the milk, mix, add remaining flour, mix.
I can’t wait to make this cake! It looks incredible! I can taste the orange infused olive oil from North Carolina! 🙂
It is super easy and very flavorful..you can use fused or infused orange olive oil…fused is stronger, but either way, it will be delicious! Thank you, Debi!