Why Make Olive Oil Cake?

Good question and there’s a good answer. You should make this orange almond olive oil cake because it is delicious and moist and you deserve it, but also because it has less saturated fat than a butter cake, which makes it just a little bit healthier for you. Also, with olive oil as the main fat in the cake, it stays moist for longer than a butter cake would. No, you don’t really taste the olive oil – at least not unless you are really looking for it – but olive oil flavor does pair so nicely with fruit and nuts, both of which are in this recipe. 

Ingredients for Orange Almond Olive Oil Cake

Aside from the usual suspects that you’d find in a cake recipe (eggs, flour, baking soda, salt and sugar), you’ll also need orange juice and orange zest, some ground almonds, some yogurt and of course, olive oil. The yogurt in the recipe also helps keep this delicious cake moist. You can buy ground almonds or you can grind them yourself with a food processor or mini chopper. Stop processing them before they turn into a flour or powder – the small crumbs give the cake a nice light crunchy texture that is really pleasant.

What Olive Oil to Use

While you won’t taste the olive oil as the dominant flavor in this cake, you should use an olive oil that you like. (I always think that you should like all of the ingredients you put into a recipe.) Use an extra virgin olive oil, rather than a light olive oil. If you love olive oil, go with a green grassy oil. If you’re still somewhat skeptical about putting olive oil into your cake, go with a more yellow-colored and mellow-flavored olive oil. 

What Cake Pan to Use

Use a regular 9-inch cake pan for this recipe. Grease it well and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Then, grease the parchment paper as well. All of this is just extra precaution, which I commonly do with all my baking projects. It’s such a shame if the cake sticks in the pan and rather than having to redo something, these little extras are just added insurance for success. 

How to Decorate Olive Oil Cake

You could make an orange glaze for this cake, but it’s honestly so simple to just dust with powdered sugar, add some orange peel and call it a day. Make sure you let the cake cool completely before dusting with the sugar. A channel knife from a zester will give you lovely curls of peel for garnishing. Scatter some sliced and toasted almonds around the cake to give the visual clue that there are nuts involved and add a few slices of orange if you like.

How to Serve Orange Almond Olive Oil Cake

While you could serve this cake with whipped cream, I really enjoy it with thick whole plain yogurt. The sharp acidic taste of the yogurt complements the sweet cake so nicely. Of course, a cup of coffee on the side is a nice accompaniment too. 

Orange Almond Olive Oil Cake