Orange Olive Oil Cake (4 Ingredients)

This Orange Olive Oil Cake is an easy 4-ingredient cake recipe with a soft and airy crumb full of refreshing orange flavors and made with no eggs, no dairy, and no refined sugar.

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While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!

Orange Olive Oil Cake

This Orange Olive Oil Cake is an easy 4-ingredient cake recipe with a soft and airy crumb full of refreshing orange flavors and made with no eggs, no dairy, and no refined sugar.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 55 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 198.9 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 1 cup Orange Juice - freshly squeezed from 4-5 small navel oranges (note 1)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Orange Zest - optional, from the same oranges (note 2)
• ▢ ½ cup Light Olive Oil
• ▢ ⅔ cup Unrefined Sugar - (note 3)
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups Self-Rising Flour

Optional

• ▢ 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 6-inch x 6-inch cake pan with oiled parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, press the oranges, discard any seeds, and measure 1 cup of juice. Keep in the bowl.
• If you like the tangy flavor of orange zest, grate one tablespoon orange zest from the oranges skin and add in the bowl with orange juice.
• Stir in the olive oil, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt if used.
• Add in self-rising flour, and use a rubber spatula to combine and form a smooth cake batter.
• Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until a pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. You can tent the cake pan with a large piece of foil after 40 minutes of baking to prevent the top of the cake from browning too fast.
• Cool the cake on a cooling rack for 3 hours before slicing.

Notes

Note 1: You can also use freshly pressed orange juice bottled from the store, make sure you use one with the pulp to add even more taste to the cake – that’s why I use fresh oranges! The pulp adds moisture and taste.

Note 2: You can skip the zest if you don’t like the tangy flavor or orange zest.

Note 3: I am using medium-flavored olive oil because I love the taste of olive oil in my cake. If you don’t, or you are not too sure, start with an extra light or light olive oil, the flavor will be barely noticeable but you still get all the moisture from the oil in the cake crumb.

Note 4: You can use unrefined cane sugar, coconut sugar, or demerara sugar for healthier sugar options.

Storage: Store the pound cake in a sealed cake box for up to 5 days in the fridge or freeze the slices in an airtight container and thaw the day before eating.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1slice (from 12 slices) | Calories: 198.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.6g | Protein: 2.3g | Fat: 9.4g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.6g | Sodium: 97.8mg | Potassium: 61.4mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 12.9g | Vitamin A: 43.8IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 6.1mg | Iron: 0.3mg | Magnesium: 7mg | Phosphorus: 21.3mg | Zinc: 0.2mg

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need 4 base ingredients to make this cake. Here’s how to pick them (and swap them).

• Orange Juice – This provides the primary flavor and moisture for the cake. Freshly squeezed juice with pulp enhances the taste and moisture.
• Orange Zest – This is optional but it adds a nice tangy citrus flavor.
• Light Olive Oil – This adds moisture and a subtle richness. Extra light or light olive oil works if a strong olive oil flavor is not desired.
• Unrefined Sugar – This sweetens the cake. Regular sugar, coconut sugar, or demerara sugar are suitable alternatives.
• Self-Rising Flour – This provides the structure and leavening for the cake. You can make your own by combining 4 teaspoons of baking powder in 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour.

How to Make Orange Olive Oil Cake

This cake is super simple to make, here’s how in a few pictures.

Combine all the liquid cake ingredients in a mixing bowl, add the sugar and orange zest.

Pour the dry ingredients on top of the base batter.

Stir the batter until the batter is just combined.

Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).

Carine’s Baking Tips

Let me share a few more tips to help make the best possible cake.

• Skip the Zest – Skip the orange zest if you are not a fan of its tangy flavor.
• Flavor Enhancement – Add the optional salt and vanilla extract for an even better flavor.
• Juice Adjustment – If you don’t have enough orange juice, complete with a bit of dairy-free milk.
• Avoid Overmixing – Stirring the batter too much can lead to a dense and dry crumb.
• Pan Preparation – Ensure the cake pan is well-lined with oiled parchment paper for easy removal. Even better, use a springform pan for easy unmolding.
• Even Baking – Tent the cake pan with foil after 40 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.
• Cooling Time – Allow the cake to cool completely for at least 3 hours before slicing for a firm texture.

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