Olive Oil Cake

Never settle for a dense, dry cake again with this supremely soft olive oil cake. With its crackly sugar crust, spongy, orange-scented interior, and subtle peppery flavor, this cake recipe is unlike any other. It is a staple in many Mediterranean kitchens, where olive oil is the primary cooking fat. No need to fuss with frosting, this cake is meant to be presented as a beautiful sugar-coated single layer. Pro tip: An extra drizzle of oil really brings out the aromatic flavors present in the cake! Whether it is topped with fresh fruit, a dollop of whipped cream, or enjoyed on its own, it is a delicious, subtly sweet holiday dessert for any Christmas lunch and leftovers make a divine breakfast with a cup of coffee! 

What is an olive oil cake?

This soft, aromatic Christmas cake is made with oil instead of butter. Lots of cakes get their airy texture with chemical leaveners and by creaming butter and sugar together. While this recipe does have some baking powder and baking soda, this rich cake needs more oomph than that! Instead of trying to cream the oil and sugar, the eggs and sugar are beaten together until light and airy, much like a sponge cake. The other ingredients are carefully mixed in so that the volume is not lost. Don’t skip the cornmeal, it gives the cake such a delicate, golden crumb!

What makes an olive oil cake different from a butter cake?

While butter is undeniably tasty, oil-based cakes are revered for being consistently soft and moist. Even served straight out of the refrigerator, cakes made with olive or vegetable oil stay tender for days. Olive oil also lends its grassy, almost peppery flavor to the cake that goes so well with the orange zest. No need to buy the most expensive oil out there!  When in doubt, give your oil a sniff. If it doesn't smell like anything, skip that one. If it is overwhelmingly spicy or peppery, save that for dipping your bread! Look for an extra-virgin olive oil that is somewhere in the middle, with grassy, fruity notes.