Orange Olive Oil Cake Recipe

Prepare

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan or line with parchment and lightly oil the parchment.

Dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp fine sea salt until evenly combined.

Aromatics

In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest and 1/2 cup fresh orange juice; let sit a minute so zest begins to release oils.

Wet ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk 3 large eggs until combined. Add 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and the orange zest + juice mixture. Whisk until smooth and homogenous.

Combine

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture in. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix. Scrape down the bowl and ensure there are no streaks of flour.

Bake

Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 35–45 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even browning.

Cool

Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto a cooling rack. Peel off parchment (if used) and let cool completely before glazing or serving.

While the cake bakes, make the citrus-honey yogurt. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt until smooth. Taste and adjust honey or lemon juice to balance sweetness and brightness. Chill until ready to serve.

If using a glaze, whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar with 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil until smooth and pourable. If too thick, add a drop more orange juice; if too thin, add more confectioners' sugar. Drizzle over the cooled cake and allow to set 10 minutes.

Slice the cooled cake. Serve each slice with a generous spoonful of citrus-honey yogurt alongside or dolloped on top. Leftover cake keeps well covered at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated up to 3 days; store yogurt refrigerated.