dessert
Olive Oil Citrus Cake
A single-layer olive oil cake with orange and lemon, moist, tender, the cake you bake on a slow Saturday.
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Join the waitlistOlive oil cakes age beautifully, better on day two, actually great on day three. The crumb is open and the flavor of a good fruity oil really comes through.
Serve in thick slices with espresso, or with whipped cream and fresh berries if you want to feel fancy.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup (180 ml) good extra-virgin olive oil (fruity, not bitter)
- ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk
- ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Steps
- 1Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9-inch round pan with parchment.
- 2In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- 3In a large bowl, rub the sugar with the orange and lemon zest with your fingers until it smells fragrant. Whisk in the eggs until pale and thick, about 2 minutes.
- 4Whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream, then the milk, orange juice, and lemon juice.
- 5Add the dry to the wet and whisk just until smooth. Pour into the pan.
- 6Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until deeply golden and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then turn out. Dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
Wrapped tightly, this keeps at room temperature for 3 days. The flavor deepens overnight.
Updated May 2026
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