• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Skip to content

Preppy Kitchen logo

  • About
    • Meet John
    • Press
  • Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Breads
    • Soups
    • Salads
    • Casseroles
    • Instant Pot
    • Appetizers
    • Drinks
    • Holiday
  • Cookbook
  • Shop
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Press
  • All Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Follow us on

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Desserts » Cakes » Olive Oil Cake

    Olive Oil Cake

    Published: December 29, 2019 · Modified: Mar 10, 2020 by John Kanell

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

    This healthy and delicious olive oil cake gets it's moist crumb from an amazing extra virgin Spanish Olive Oil. This video was sponsored by Olive Oils from Spain, their amazing extra virgin olive oil really helped make my cake special!

    A photo or an orange bundt cake
    594 shares
    • Share
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    olive oil bundt cake on a wire cooling rack
    olive oil bundt cake on a wire cooling rack
    olive oil bundt cake on a wire cooling rack
    olive oil bundt cake on a wire cooling rack

    Orange is one of my favorite holiday flavors, and because there are so many decadent treats around this time of year I wanted to share a lighter recipe that with still satisfy your sweet tooth but not fill you with regrets!  If you like a bit of extra zing try using fresh cranberries!

    Pro Tips for the Best Olive Oil Cake

    • Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
    • Toss the pecans and dried cranberries with flour so they don’t all sink in the batter.
    • For the best looking bundt reserve some of the batter without the buts and fruit then  spoon  it into the pan and brush it into the crevices. After the batter is all in got the pan a few taps on the counter to help air bubbles out. 
    • This cake has orange zest in the batter but you can add lemon zest too.

    A top down shot of a spiral-shaped cranberry orange bundt cake

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I use olive oil for cake?

    I used an extra virgin Spanish olive oil for this cake and it gave a wonderfully moist crumb with all the health benefits of olive oil! Using olive oil in place of butter also means you can chill the cake and not worry about it getting hard as is the cake with butter-based cakes.

    What does olive oil cake taste like?

    While the olive oil lends a beautiful fragrance you the batter you’ll probably struggle to taste it in the finished product, especially in a cake like this which has strong notes of orange and cranberry. You just taste a great moist cake with perhaps the slightest hint of olive oil.

    Can I use fresh cranberries for this cake?

    Toasted pecans and dried cranberries rounded out the flavors in this cake very nicely but you can TOTALLY use fresh cranberries for this cake. I might just cut them in half and dredge in flour before adding to the batter.

    How long will this cake keep for?

    This cake is fine overnight at room temperature if covered. You can refrigerate the cake for up to 4 days or freeze the cake for two months. Always bring cake  back to room temperature before enjoying!

    How to Make Olive Oil Cake

    An orange being juiced into a bowl and combined with olive oil.

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Zest the orange and set aside, then juice the orange into a medium bowl.

    2. Add the olive oil and orange blossom water to the freshly squeezed juice, then give it a mix and set aside. In a separate bowl toss the toasted pecans and dried cranberries with some flour and set aside. Now go ahead and sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Give it a whisk to make sure everything is well incorporated and set it aside.

    Batter for an olive oil bundt cake being made in a blue stand mixer.

    3. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add in 1 1/2 cups of sugar, the eggs, and orange zest (some lemon zest is optional). Mix on high for about 8 minutes or until thickened. Add the sour cream to your egg and sugar mixture and mix to combine. While mixer is running on low, slowly pour in olive oil mixture.

    4. Now slowly add the flour mixture while mixing on low. 

    Two photos of cranberries and pecans going cake patter and a bundt cake tin being filled with batter

    5. Turn off the mixer and remove the whisk attachment. To have a beautiful edge, reserve some batter to pour it into the pan first. Now add the toasted pecans and dried cranberries.

    6. Spray or butter and flour your pan then pour the reserved batter into the pan first. Spread the batter around into the crevasse of the pan to make sure it is well coated. Then go ahead and fill up the pan about 2/3 of the way. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

    Citruc glaze being made and poured onto a bundt cake.

    7. For the glaze; Add the confectioners sugar and about 2 tbsp fresh orange juice to a bowl. Whisk it up and add some juice from the lemon. You may have to add some more confectioners sugar or orange juice until you reach a desired consistency.

    8. For the assembly; Let the bundt cool then remove it from the pan. Give your glaze a quick mix then pour it on the top of your bundt cake.

    If you love this recipe try these out!

    • A photo or an orange bundt cake

    • A photo of chocolate peppermint donuts, in a pile on a wire rack, with candy canes around them.

      Chocolate Peppermint Donuts

    • A big three layer carrot cake with a piece in the foreground.

      Carrot Cake Recipe

    • Photo of a gingerbread cake topped with sparkling cranberries on a marble table.

      Gingerbread Cake

    • A photo showing a chocolate peppermint cake on a white marble table.

      Chocolate Peppermint Cake

    If you’ve tried this olive oil cake recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

    An olive oil bundt cake on a white marble table
    Print
    5 from 16 votes

    Olive Oil Cake

    A delicious and healthy olive oil cake full of orange, cranberries and toasted pecans.
    Course cake, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 40 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour
    Servings 12
    Calories 260kcal
    Author John Kanell

    Ingredients

    For the Cake

    • 3 cups plus 2 tbsp; all purpose flour 360g and 16g for coating
    • 1 tbsp baking powder 12g
    • 1/2 tsp salt 2-3g
    • 1 1/2 cups sugar 300g
    • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 236mL
    • 1/2 cup sour cream 240g
    • 5 eggs
    • 1 tsp orange blossom water 5mL
    • 1 cup pecans crushed (1 tbsp flour to coat)
    • 1 cup dried cranberries 1 tbsp flour to coat
    • 1 orange zested and juiced 3/4 cup fresh orange juice, 177mL
    • zest of a lemon

    For the Glaze

    • 1 cup confectioners sugar 110g
    • 2-3 tbsp fresh orange juice 30-45mL
    • 1/2 lemon juiced, 1-2 tbsp or 15-30mL

    Instructions

    For the Cake

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Toast pecans and crush them up. Measure out 1 cup or 1 1/2 cups depending on preference. Coat with 1 tbsp flour. Set aside.
    • Put dried cranberries in a bowl. Coat with flour. Set aside.
    • Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Give it a whisk and set aside.
    • In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment add in 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs.
    • Add in the zest of an orange. A bit of lemon zest is nice too but optional.
    • Mix on high for about 8 minutes or until thickened.
    • In a large bowl add the fresh orange juice, olive oil, and orange blossom water if using.
    • Add sour cream to your stand mixer and mix to incorporated.
    • While mixer is running on low, slowly pour in olive oil mixture.
    • Now add the flour mixture. Mix until combined. Turn off mixer and remove whisk attachment.
    • To have a beautiful edge, reserve some batter before adding nuts to pour it into the pan first.
    • Add orange blossom water, toasted pecans and dried cranberries.
    • Spray or butter and flour your pan. Pour reserved batter in pan first. Spread the batter around into the crevasse of the pan to make sure it is well coated.
    • Now fold batter with nuts once more and pour into your pan. Fill up about 2/3 of the way to leave room for rising.
    • Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool then remove from pan.

    For the Glaze

    • Add confectioners sugar and about 2 tbsp fresh orange juice to a large bowl. Whisk it up.
    • Add some juice from the lemon.
    • Add some more confectioners sugar or orange juice until desired consistency is reached.

    For the Assembly

    • Pour orange glaze on top of the bundt cake and enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    • Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
    • You can substitute whole milk yogurt for the sour cream, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
    • For this cake, you can also substitute more olive oil for the sour cream if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4.3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 24.8mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1.6mg
    *Nutrition Disclaimer
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @preppykitchen and tag #preppykitchen!

     

    « Banana Muffins
    Cream of Mushroom Soup »

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Preppy Kitchen!

    Thanks for stopping by! I’m John Kanell, a husband, dad to twins Lachlan and George, Los Angeles native, and an avid baker and cooker of all things delicious thanks to a life long education from my mother. This blog is where I share all of my kitchen creations!

    Search

    Follow Us On

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Preppy Kitchen Newsletter

    Sign up to receive recipes, recommendations and tips straight to your inbox!

    As Seen On

    As seen on Elle Décor, People, Food Network and more

    Top recipes This Month

    • A stack of peanut butter cookies on a small wooden board

      Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

    • An Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie next to a glass of milk

      Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

    • Lemon bars dusted with powdered sugar on a green and white plate.

      Lemon Bars

    • A group of pink macarons on a serving tray next to flowers

      Macaron Recipe

    • photo of moist Vanilla Cupcakes in pink paper wrappers

      Moist Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

    • A vanilla milkshake, a strawberry milkshake, and a chocolate milkshake with toppings on top with sprinkles around the table.

      How to Make a Milkshake

    • A strawberry cupcake with half a strawberry on top of the pink frosting. More cupcakes and milk in the background.

      Strawberry Cupcakes

    • A slice of lemon cake on a plate in front of a cake stand holding the rest of the cake.

      Lemon Cake

    • A cake stand with a slice of red velvet cake cut out and placed on a plate in front.

      Red Velvet Cake

    • A photo of a vanilla cupcake on a cupcake stand with vanilla buttercream frosting beautifully piped on top.

      Buttercream Frosting

    Footer

    As Seen On:

    Elle Décor, People, Country Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Food Network, Woman's Day, forkly, Yummly, the Bump, Buzz Feed, Home and Family and New York magazine.

    The Brand

    • About John
    • Press

    Preppy Kitchen Logo

    Dessert Recipes

    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Cupcakes
    • Pies
    • All Desserts

    Main Course Recipes

    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Casseroles
    • InstantPot
    • Soups
    • Salads

    COPYRIGHT © 2015 - 2020 PREPPY KITCHEN | PRIVACY POLICY

    594 shares