Citrus Olive Oil Cake
This tender olive oil cake recipe is infused with fresh citrus flavor. Find my go-to recipe, plus tips on how to change it up! Recipe yields 1 loaf cake.ย
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Hereโs the paradox of producing a healthy cookbook: the stress of it leads to cravings for all kinds of not-so-healthy things. Like, mac and cheese. Pizza, delivered. Spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream. Those chocolate coconut almonds from Trader Joeโs (have you tried them?!). Iโm only human.
Iโm in the thick of recipe writing now, and itโs tedious work. I think and re-think how to structure each recipe so itโs easy to understand. I wonder how much detail to includeโwill this tip help you along, or just complicate matters?
Such as, do you need to know the weight of apples used in a salad? (Leaning toward no.) Do I tell you how to toast the nuts in every recipe that calls for toasted nuts? (Leaning toward yes.) How do I best explain how to shape veggie burgers to someone who hasnโt made them before? So on and so forth.
Iโm so in love with the recipes, though. I have 100 sweet little recipe babies, and Iโm struggling to keep them all to myself until next spring. Theyโre also keeping me from spending as much time here as Iโd like. Please forgive me if Iโm slow to answer your commentsโtheyโre so important to me, and itโs killing me that I canโt get to each one.
I decided to indulge my sugar craving with a citrusy winter cake. This olive oil cake has made a couple of appearances on the blog already (orange poppy seed and lemon blueberry), and itโs always tender, light and complex in flavor. This time, itโs a pretty pink blood orange cake with blood orange icing.
The only problem is that blood oranges donโt have a ton of flavor compared to other citrus, so itโs not as intensely citrusy as the pink frosting would suggest. The lemon and regular orange versions definitely pack more of a punch, so I thought I would present this cake as a design-your-own olive oil cake with tips on how to change it up. You can use any crazy variety of winter citrus you can find!
Citrus Olive Oil Cake Tips
Use any variety of citrus here. The stronger the citrus flavor, the more it will shine through in the cake. You could use this recipe to make a lemon, orange (maybe Cara Cara?), lime (or key lime), grapefruit or clementine cake. Hell, you could probably make a kumquat cake if you really want to juice a bunch of kumquats. Keep in mind that the smaller the fruit, the more you will need for zesting and juicing.
Health note: Kristen, a registered nurse, informed me that blood oranges can have the same harmful interaction with medications that grapefruit can, so if you know you need to avoid grapefruit, please also avoid blood oranges!
Add mix-ins, if youโd like. Iโve added poppy seeds (up to 1/3 cup) before, or fresh or frozen blueberries (1 cup, tossed in flour to prevent them from sinking). I imagine that an equal amount of other small berries or sliced fruit would be great. I wish I had thought to add small segments of blood orange to this cake like Melissa Clark did here.
Top with glaze, if youโd like. This cake is lightly sweet and full of flavor as is. You can infuse it with even more fresh citrus flavor by brushing the warm cake with lightly sweetened citrus juice, like I did for my blueberry cake. (In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons citrus juice and 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrupโyou might need to warm the mixture to get the honey to incorporate.)
Or, you can top it with a thicker glaze made with powdered sugar, like I did hereย (see recipe below). Whether you glaze or not, another option would be toย layer candied citrus on top like Tessa did on this gorgeous pavlova.
Serve with or without accompaniments. I like slices as is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, plain yogurt or whipped cream.
More Homemade Cakes to Make
Like this recipe, these homemade cake recipes are simple and delightful. Browse all cake recipes here.
- Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Cake
- Favorite Banana Cake
- Gluten-Free Almond Cake with Berries on Top
- Orange Poppy Seed Pound Cake
- Simple Blueberry Cake
Citrus Olive Oil Cake
This tender olive oil cake recipe is infused with fresh citrus flavor. This cake is really easy to make (no mixer required). I used blood orange here, but feel free to use lemon, orange or any fresh citrus fruit youโd like (see tips on how to change up this recipe above). Recipe yields 1 loaf cake.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ยฝ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons citrus zest (I used 2 blood oranges here)
- ยผ cup fresh citrus juice
- 1 cup sugar (I used organic cane sugar)
- ยพ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 3 eggs
- ยฝ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ยฝ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Glaze (optional, see other ideas above recipe)
- โ cup powdered sugar (hereโs how to make your own)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh citrus juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously butter and flour an 8ยฝ by 4ยผ-inch loaf pan. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Pour the sugar into another medium-sized mixing bowl. Use a Microplane to grate 2 teaspoons zest from your fresh citrus fruits and add it to the bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar takes on the color and fragrance of the citrus.
- In a liquid measuring cup, measure out ยพ cup yogurt and squeeze in about ยผ cup citrus juice to yield 1 cup total liquid. Whisk the yogurt and juice, eggs and vanilla into the sugar mixture until well blended.
- Gently whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just until incorporated. Switch to a spatula and fold in the oil, making sure itโs all incorporated. The batter will be shiny. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the top is golden and the sides start to pull away from the sides of the pan; a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan to loosen. Unmold the cake by placing a large plate upside down over the loaf pan and carefully turning them over. Carefully flip the cake back over and let it cool to room temperature.
- To make the glaze (optional): Measure the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Whisk in just enough blood orange juice to make a thick glaze that drizzles easily off your whisk when lifted. Drizzle the glaze back and forth over the cake. The glaze will need about 15 minutes to set, then itโs ready to slice and serve.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Orange Poppy Seed Pound Cake and Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Cake.
Make it vegan: Readers report that flax eggs work well in place of the eggs in this recipe, and non-dairy coconut yogurt should work. Please let me know if you give that a try!
Storage suggestions: This cake keeps well at room temperature for a couple of days, a few days longer in the refrigerator, or up to a few months in the freezer.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Baked this cake today using navel oranges and it was DELICIOUS! Super moist and flavourful, and not crazy-complicated to make either. Bookmarking this so I can recreate it with other citrus fruits in the future.
I made the cake last night and it took every once of willpower I had not to dig into it with a very large spoon. I made mine with grapefruit and lemon and it smells fantastic. I didnโt make the glaze but probably will when I get home tonight (if thereโs any left). Thank you for the recipe, Iโll most likely be making this again.
Hi Kate,
First of all, absolutely amazing work. I have made a lot of people smile with food using your recipes, so thank you.
I am baking a cake for a baby shower this weekend and I would like to use this recipe to make the sponge, modifying the citrus for key lime. I was wondering if you would have any suggestions for healthy frosting recipes that hold well for making layered cakes, like greek yoguhrt or something else low in fat and sugar? I need to make a pink coloured frosting.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
I just made this cake and it is delicious! My husband and I loved it! Thank you for this recipe! I also had one question: is it possible to sub the sugar with honey or maple syrup? Many thanks!
Samia
I was wondering the same โ is there an alternative to the cup of sugar that could be used โ I was afraid of using honey or maple syrup incase it would be too runny and not bake .
Iโm sorry, Iโve tried replacing the sugar with honey and it didnโt turn out very well. Thereโs a chance coconut sugar might work; it will make the cake a little darker in color. Please let me know if you try!
Kate thanks for your reply โ I have some coconut sugar in my cupboard so I will try using this as an alternative to sugar and let you know how it works out โ but it is delicious with sugar and I used orange in mine but will try with lemon next time โ ohhh so excited for you new book โ cannot waitโฆ sure to be a best seller.
Hello! I love your blog and every recipe Iโve tried from you turns out so well (really really looking forward to your new cookbook later)!
I really would like to try this (I love citrus cakes too much and would love a healthier option so I donโt feel as guilty when I eat the entire thing) but strangely enough Iโm allergic to yogurt cultures. Do you have any tips or idea for a non-yogurt version? Thank you very much!
what about sour cream?
Just made this cake and itโs so damn good!
I did a vegan low fructose version with an orange and rosemary glaze; my oven was a bit high so it came out a bit blonde oh well.
Do you think you could use non-fat plain Greek yogurt instead and still get the same result? Love your recipes and website!!
I think so!
This cake is a great savory but sweet cake with the use of the olive oil. Chose lemon for the juice and received compliments :).
Wonderful!
This cake is delicious โ moist and so moreish!! I was wondering as my husband is diabetic would there be an alternative to the cup of sugar?? love your log and website.. thanks
Hi Brenda, Iโm so sorry, your comment slipped by me. I think you could probably halve the amount of sugar and still get good results. I usually try to stick with natural sweeteners, but Iโve tried making this one with honey and that didnโt work so well! In theory, the whole grain flours and healthy fats in this recipe should slow the blood sugar effect, at least a bit.
HI!! I really want to make this but not a big fan of citrus. Do you have any ideas of what I could use to substitute the citrus juice?
Hi Jodi! I think you could easily replace it with water, although the cake wonโt be as flavorful.
I used organic navel oranges in this recipe, since my grocery store didnโt carry organic blood oranges.
This recipe was SUPER easy and barely made a dent in my kitchen as far as mess. And the cake came out amazingly! The scent was absolutely heavenly while it was baking, and it tastes great. Everyone that tried it loved it! Iโm going to make this again in the future for sure!
Great! The scent of oranges is amazing, I have to agree with you. Thanks for commenting and providing a review, Emily!
Just made the vegan version with flax eggs and Daiya greek yogurt alternative and it turned out great!
My glaze was a little runny so it didnโt turn out as pretty as in the picture but it was tasty so thatโs all that matters to me :)
Thanks for sharing! I appreciate the review.
My husband recons this is better than the banana bread which he said was the best heโd ever had. I say they are both off the scale good.
Thanks again!
Delicious and well balanced, family devoured in less than a day!
Thank you, Alexia!
I made this on a whim because I wanted to serve something sweet but not heavy after a huge Italian dinner. It was perfection, even the kids loved it! I used Cara Cara Oranges and it was insanely moist with just the right amount of citrus. When the heaters get turned on in the winter and the air gets too dry, this is a great way to get the oils internally. Thank you Kate!
Youโre welcome, Sarah! Thanks or sharing.
I made this a couple years ago for a big event at church. I remembered a young lady asked around to figure out i was the one who made it. She approached me and thank me for making the cake because it reminded her of her grandma who was in Latin America! Her grandma used to bake citrus cake for her and this recipe tasted similar to her grandma โs recipe. That was the best cake i ever made!
How fun! Thank you for sharing, Cathlyn.
The cake is delicious, but it didnโt rise as much as yours. Should I try adding more baking powder next time?
Wonderfully simple and delicious. I had Spanish olive oil, Persian limes and Greek yogurt. It was perfect for sharing with my guests and a light tea service cake. Definitely will make it again!! Thank you
Youโre welcome Emilie!
Hi! Could you use almond milk + apple cider vinegar like you have suggested in previous recipes in place of the yogurt?
Hi Angela, maybe! I havenโt tried to be able to say for certain. Typically when I do that, I use less โbuttermilkโ than yogurt.
My husband loved this recipe!! Thank you that itโs not super fatty either!!! :)
I love that itโs a hit with him! Thank you for your review, Becca.
Wow! This cake looks delicious :) Do you think the recipe would work with small chunks of candies ginger added in?
You could try it!
This looks delicious and I love all of your recipes Kate. Can I use plain organic AP flour instead?
I havenโt tried it, but it should work.
I have made Citrus cakes in the past (before diabetes) and love all types of citrus!!! I was so happy when I found this recipe and intend to make it today using Stevia and either tapioca flour or almond flour so I can eat some of it.
I will experiment with it until I get it right!!! Thank you for your โgreatโ recipes!!
PS. Give Cookie a hug from me!!
Thank you, Carole! I will be sure to give Cookie an extra hug.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for your recipes, they are always amazing. I would like to make sure the olive oil flavour really shines and the cake is very moist, could I add extra, like 3/4 cup? And if so, should I reduce the yogurt to 1/2cup or could it handle the extra fat? Also, I see some other recipes add grand marnier, which I happen to have, do you think this would be best in the batter or the frosting?
Thanks for your insight, will post a star rating when I make it this weekend!
Hi Hilary, I wouldnโt know without trying it since baking can be very specific.
Iโve made this cake today and it is super delicious my daughter, who is the toughest judge of my baking, absolutely lived it!!! Thank you very much for your blog Elena
Thatโs great! Iโm glad she enjoyed it, Elena.
I made this with flaxseed eggs and it turned out great. This cake is so moist and delicious!
Hi
Instead of yogurt what else could be used in this cake?
Hi Anne, since this is a baked good, Iโm hesitant to recommend an untested substitution. Perhaps buttermilk would work, but you might need to scale bake on the quantity a bitโbaking is really a science!
I made this cake with lemon as I could not find blood orange at the market. I did not have whole milk yogurt, so I substituted half low sugar 2G yogurt (vanilla) and half sour cream. This cake is a winner. With every bite, I loved it more. Glad I made a double batch. Iโll be giving some to a friend and some to my college student. This cake will be wonderful with tea or coffee, and I suspect that it will hold up well in the fridge for a few days. Also easy to make, no mixer required. Love the whole wheat base. Great recipe โ thank you!!
Such a unique, moist, delicious cake. I used sour cream because I did not have yogurt, and it came out just as delicious! Thanks for sharing!!
Amazing recipe Kate! My parents and I absolutely love it! I followed the recipe exactly, except I used flax eggs, since my mom does not prefer eggs. It came out perfectly. I loved making this and I stood in front of the oven, watching it rise. Thank you for this recipe Kate!
Wondering if this could be made in a Bundt pan and if so, would I adjust cooking times at all?
Hey Sarah! Iโm really not sure. You would need to double or triple the recipe to make it work, depending on the size of your bundt pan.
I was so intrigued by the idea of an olive oil cake, so I did a search online and found your recipe. So easy and absolutely moist and delicious! I made mine with lemon, but will definitely try other citrus fruits next time. Oh yes, there will be a next time!
I love your recipe. My whole life I have enjoyed baking but I am very bad at it. My father lovingly calls my cookies rocks but eats them anyways.
Kate , thank you so much . I made this cake and it is coming out great.
For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a cake that I can make to say thank you with but have always resorted to gift cards. I am 43.
Enjoy it so much. During this time it wonโt stay in the pan for long! Also I just use lemon.
Karen, Iโm so happy to hear it! Thank you for letting me know. Your friends are lucky to have citrus cakes in their futures. :)
Kate, this recipe is wonderful! I have made it twice so far and will be making it again for a family get together. Do you think a butter frosting will go well with this? I was thinking of an orange cake with pink frosting from beets, just for the color of course. Iโd like to make this a bit fancier for show, so do you have any other suggestions?
Hi Deepika! I think that sounds delicious and decadent. :)
The recipes in your book that call for roasted veggies have changed my life! Thatโs how I do veggies now! Oven-roasted crispy tofu โ thatโs how I do tofu now! Peanut Sauce โ delicious! Tahini Sauce โ love it over carrots. And that recipe got me to try farro โ love it, too! (But it is hard to find these days.)
Thanks, Kate, for changing my life for the good! Love your emails and Cookie.
Delicious! This is the perfect afternoon tea cake. Just the right amount of sweetness. I did it with a regular orange and it was great, but Iโll definitely experiment with other citrus in the future as well. Yum!
I halved the recipe, and used non-dairy soy yoghurt, lemon & rosemary instead. Did not make glaze. Baked in small tiny 11 cm loaf tins. They are absolutely delicious! I couldnโt even wait for them to cool down before demolishing all of them at one go! Will have to bake again!
Kate, this looks lovely, do you think kefir would work in place of the yogurt?
Hi G, I haveโt tried it to say for sure. There may be too much liquid/water in it to get the same result.
I have recently been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. Iโm wondering if your olive oil cakes can be made using sugar substitute as I have to avoid sugar, fat, flour (other than whole wheat) any recipes that will help me would be much appreciated x thank you
Hi Katrina, Iโm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I wish I could be more helpful with modifications for this recipe. Baking is very precise and changing one element (or more) would require a different recipe if it could work.
What can I use other than a yogurt? Prefer not to use yogurt.
Hi Hilda, please see my vegan notes in the recipe notes section. I donโt know of other options that could work. Sorry to not be more helpful!
I made this cake,it seemed coarse and dry.
Hi Poppy, Iโm sorry to hear that. How did you measure your flour? How long did it bake for?
This looks amazingโdo you think silken tofu would substitute the yogurt? I canโt have dairy or coconut sadly :(.
Hi Sarah! That is an interesting idea. I havenโt tried it, so I canโt say for sure.
I tried substituting the yogurt with silken tofu, 1:1, worked beautifully!
Iโve made this twice โ first with lime and next with lemon and berries mixed in โ and itโs sweet enough without the glaze. Perfect with a cup of coffee! Any suggestions if I want to use less sugar? Thank you!
Can you substitute in regular flour?
Hi, typically an all purpose flour can work as a substitution but I havenโt tried it myself for this recipe.
Do you think I could bake it in an 8โ springform pan? Itโs 3โdeep. Iโve made this before, but thought a round pan would be fun to try.
Hi, I havenโt tried it so canโt say for sure. Sorry! It may be too flat.
Instead of sugar what can I use if I am diabetic.
Sorry to disappoint, but I donโt have an option I have tested other than this recipe.
Made this gluten-free with 1 cup of a gluten-free flour mix and 1/2 cup almond flour! It turned out absolutely delicious and super moist! I will definitely make this again!
Umโฆ This cake was OUTSTANDING. We made it with blood oranges for Valentineโs Day and it was absolute perfection. So easy that my 4-year olds had no problem helping me make it! We used AP flour because I was out of white whole wheat and worried that regular whole wheat would give it too earthy a flavor for the citrus to really shine. Also, I used whole milk Greek yogurt (instead of regular yogurt), so Iโm wondering if thatโs why my cake required a full 60 minutes of baking. Regardless, it came out moist on the inside with that lovely caramelized shell on top, and the blood orange glaze was the perfect topping. We will DEFINITELY be making this one again!!!
Thank you, Maya! Iโm excited you loved it and it worked well with your adjustments.
I made this today for my own birthday lunch! Absolutely delicious. I used the blood oranges and it had such a nice flavor. . I love the pink icing too. Everything good about an olive oil cake is in this recipe. Thanks Kate!
Happy belated birthday! Thank you for your review. Iโm glad you loved it, Gayle.
Made this during the weekend and it was SO delicious and perfectly moist and tangy.
Used 50/50 lemon and orange and made the glaze with orange juice.
Major bonus is how extremely easy it is to make! This one will definitely be on rotation (along with the delicious healthy banana bread I tried out today).
Thank you for sharing, Tove! Sounds great.