You’re going to love this decadent Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake. No stand mixer required! Blood oranges add a beautiful visual element, but regular oranges can easily be substituted. This olive oil cake recipe is truly an amazing dessert.
When I received blood oranges in my farm box last week, I immediately knew I wanted to bake a cake. Lately I’ve been opting for more simple recipes– classics like bread pudding, tomato bisque, and chili.
However, when I see blood oranges, I always love to think outside the box. Why not create something that highlights that gorgeous color as much as possible? For example, check out my Blood Orange Gin and Tonic.
After deciding on a cake, I immediately thought, “let’s make it a blood orange olive oil cake.” Some quick research helped me realize that a recipe by the same name already exists in one of Melissa Clark’s cookbooks.
I love Melissa’s recipes, so why reinvent the wheel? I’ve adapted her blood orange olive oil cake, and it’s amazing as expected.
The cake is tender, moist, and doesn’t require a stand mixer. It’s not overly sweet, and if you’ll excuse me, I think I need another slice.
Recipe Notes
- Blood oranges aren’t always available, so don’t worry if you can’t find them. You’ll get almost the exact same results using regular oranges, minus the dramatic color. The flavors are just slightly different, but as far as I’m concerned, regular oranges and blood oranges can always be used interchangeably.
- If you’re not sure how to supreme citrus fruits, and my recipe instructions are confusing, here’s a tutorial from Martha Stewart with step-by-step photos and a video.
- Taste your olive oil before using it. I REPEAT. Taste the olive oil first. You want to use something mild, optionally fruity. Make sure you’re not using an olive oil with a strong, bitter, peppery or grassy flavor. Save those for bread dipping. They do not belong in cake! Olive oil can also go rancid with time, so even if the oil was mild when you purchased it, I strongly recommend tasting it first. In fact, I insist. Nobody likes a rancid cake.
Homemade Buttermilk Substitute
Did you know you can make homemade buttermilk from scratch to use in this recipe? Save yourself a trip to the store by checking out my post How To Make Buttermilk Substitute!
Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 8 ounces all-purpose flour (1 3/4 cups)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 blood oranges (regular oranges may be substituted)
- 7 1/2 ounces granulated sugar (1 cup)
- Buttermilk (see instructions)
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Freshly whipped cream (I recommend unsweetened)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan (I used baking spray with flour), and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Grate the zest from two oranges and combine in a small bowl with the sugar. Use your fingers to press the zest into the sugar, removing any clumps, until fragrant and evenly distributed.
- Supreme both oranges, one at a time, using a sharp knife (I use a chef’s knife, but some prefer a paring knife). Slice off the very top and bottom of the orange, creating flat ends. Place one end on a cutting board, then use your knife to remove the orange peel and white pith in sections, all the way around, maintaining the shape of the fruit.
- Hold the fruit firmly in the palm of your hand or place it on its side on the cutting board (whichever feels more comfortable). To remove the segments, cut along the membrane toward the center, then slice along the adjacent membrane, until the slices meet and you can remove the segment. Repeat all the way around, placing the segments into a bowl.
- Once the oranges are supremed, squeeze the membranes over a liquid measuring cup to extract the juice. Discard the membranes. Juice a third orange into the measuring cup, so you have approximately 1/4 cup juice. Add buttermilk until you have 2/3 cup liquid total. Pour into a large bowl along with the sugar and eggs, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the dry ingredients, then switch to a spatula and slowly fold in the olive oil, followed by the orange segments.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing out the top. Bake for 55 minutes, or until golden on top, with a toothpick coming out clean from the center. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool to room temperature.
- Supreme the remaining 3 oranges and combine with the honey. Serve slices of cake topped with whipped cream, blood orange supremes and a drizzle of the orange honey juice.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
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Olga @ MangoTomato says
That looks beautiful and would make for such a great breakfast!!
Remind me again what kind of olive oil not to use ;) xox
Jennifer Farley says
Someone didn’t read my post carefully before making my olive oil brownies and went after me about how they were the worst, most BITTER brownies they had ever tasted. I was like…
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I love simple recipes like this one Jennifer. And nothing beats blood oranges this time of year!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
This is SO pretty!
Gina @Running to the Kitchen says
This looks delicious! Love the addition of the blood oranges!
Matt Robinson says
I’m such a big blood orange fan, love this!
Lindsay Cotter says
I love blood oranges! They add a nice burst of color, not to mention flavor, to this cake!
Natasha @ Salt & Lavender says
I want a piece! I am just visualizing the delicate flavors in here. I think I’d love this cake.
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
I love olive oil cakes, and the blood orange makes this even better!
Karen @ The Food Charlatan says
Okay so I’m the lamest blogger EVER but I tried a blood orange for the FIRST time just a few weeks ago. SO GOOD!! I would love a piece of this cake!!
Jennifer Blake says
Love a good olive oil cake and the addition of blood orange is so unique!
Cookin Canuck says
Olive oil cakes have such fantastic texture, and I’m loving the idea of this with blood oranges.
Jess says
I made this for a dinner party – it turned out really good! Loved the color and taste of the blood oranges. I had never supremed anything before though, and that part was a total nightmare :P