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Blood Orange Olive Oil Snack Cake

    Have you ever heard of an olive oil cake? This Blood Orange Olive Oil Snack Cake is very sweet and subtle. This recipe takes very basic ingredients and makes it into something so amazing, you won’t believe your own tastebuds.

    Lead in image of the blood orange snack cake on a blue platter. It's fresh out of the oven and ready to be served. There are no orange rinds in this cake!

    Something I would like to explain about an olive oil cake is that you can use many different types of olive oil. Whatever type of olive oil you want to use will give your cake a bit of a different flavor. For this cake, we’re using regular olive oil that you can easily buy at the store. However, if you wanted to get fancy and try different flavors, give it a whirl.

    Blood Orange Snack Cake

    In the midwest, you may not experience an olive oil cake on the regular. However, in California, everyone is making these types of cakes all the time. Olive oil is something that is always available on the West Coast, so you better believe these cakes are popular. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this cake anytime you want. When someone asks me to bake a cake, this is actually my winter go-to. Guests and friends love it every single time. 

    A close up image of the cake crumb. This slice of olive oil cake shows how moist the cake is along with the blood orange segments on top.

    Making this cake means you get to experience blood oranges too. Have you ever tried a blood orange? They’re amazing! This recipe actually calls for 3 naval blood oranges. Blood oranges have such a different taste than regular oranges. I think you’ll love the flavor it brings to this cake. 

    Baking with Olive Oil

    You may be questioning why someone would bake with olive oil. Did you know that olive oil has lots of health benefits? A few of the health benefits of olive oil include:

    • Rich in monosaturated fats
    • Tons of antioxidants
    • Helps protect against heart disease
    • Can help prevent strokes
    A close up image of the top of the orange cake so you can see the segments of the blood orange that are cut away and removed from the orange rind before baking the cake.

    So, in this case of dessert, you can have your cake and eat it too because you are getting so many benefits, it’s unreal. Baking with olive oil is a good choice and not one you will regret any time soon. With this recipe, you’re using quite a bit of olive oil, but at least it’s for a good reason! 

    A horizontal image of the finished upside down cake ready to  be sliced and served.

    Naval Blood Oranges and Olive Oil

    You may be wondering if Naval Oranges and Olive Oil are a really good combination. The truth is, they are! They taste delicious together. It’s not a taste that you need to get used to because it’s automatically amazing. Go ahead and give this olive oil cake with orange a try and you will have zero regrets. 

    What Does Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake Take Like?

    If you were to wonder what a Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake, let’s take a minute to describe it to you. This cake tastes citrusy, but it’s also very rich and moist. Once you bite into it, you won’t be disappointed. 

    Another image of the cake on  white plate with a blue napkin.

    What Should I Do With a Lot of Oranges?

    What do you do if you have a lot of oranges on hand? One thing you can do is make this Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake. Oranges have a lot of potential and the number of recipes you can make with them is amazing. 

    Press them for the best tasting orange juice of your life. Then, add the orange rind, some cloves, and cinnamon sticks to a pot of boiling water and make the house smell AMAZING! It’s the best for making kitchen smells disappear.

    What Food Goes Well With Blood Oranges?

    Do you have blood oranges on hand? If you have some, you can eat them by themselves or you make something like this cake. You can eat other fruits with the oranges or serve it with cottage cheese! 

    They also pair well with chocolate, almonds, figs, and honey. Think about adding a few to your charcuterie board next time.

    Conclusion

    This is one recipe you need to make ASAP. It is the perfect snack cake recipe for any occasion, even for a night at home.

    A horizontal image of the snake cake slice on a plate with a dollop of whipped cream on the side.

    For more recipes using Blood Oranges:

    Sugared Orange and Lemon Peel treats. The perfect way to use up ALL the fruit.
    Sugared Citrus Peels
    Orange bread finished and ready to be eaten on a table set for breakfast.
    Orange Cardamom Breakfast Bread Twist +Video
    Light and fluffy layers of Orange Olive Oil Cake with whipped cream frosting and a candied orange slice on top.
    Orange Olive Oil Cake Recipe
    This Blood Orange Olive Oil Snack Cake is very sweet and subtle. This recipe has basic ingredients that turns into an amazing treat.
    Yield: 1 cake

    Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

    Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

    Enjoy this quick and easy Blood Orange and Olive Oil cake any night of the week. It's packed with great orange flavor.

    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 50 minutes
    Additional Time 1 hour
    Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup olive oil plus more for greasing the pan
    • 3 navel blood oranges
    • ¾ cup (divided) plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 4 large eggs, separated
    • ½ teaspoons plus a pinch of fine salt
    • 1 cup self rising flour

    Instructions

      1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. grease a 9-inch springform cake pan with olive oil.
      2. Zest 1 orange and reserve. With a sharp knife, remove the pith of the zested orange plus the peel of another one by cutting around the segments and exposing the flesh.
      3. Carefully slice the orange segments away from the membrane and reserve; squeeze the juice from the membrane into a small bowl. 
      4. Scatter the orange segments evenly over the bottom of the cake pan.
      5. In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup sugar and the egg yolks until lightened and pale.
      6. Add the orange zest, 2 tablespoons orange juice, ½ cup olive oil, and ½ teaspoon salt and whisk until combined.
      7. Fold in the flour until combined; do not overmix.
      8. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt at medium speed until foamy.
      9. Increase the speed to medium high and gradually sprinkle in 2 tablespoons sugar until soft peaks form.
      10. With a large rubber spatula, fold about a third of the whites into the batter to lighten; then fold in the remaining whites gently until no white streaks are visible.
      11. Slowly pour the batter over the oranges and tap the pan gently on a counter to release any large air bubbles. 
      12. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
      13. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove the outer ring and let cake cool completely on the pan bottom. Put a large flat plate over the top of the cake and invert it.
      14.  Meanwhile, put the remaining ¼ cup sugar in a small saucepan. Squeeze the juice from the remaining orange into the pan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
      15. Cook until thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Drizzle the orange syrup evenly over the cake before serving. 

    Notes

    Use regular olive oil here, extra-virgin can be too strong a flavor and overpower the delicate cake.

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    Images, text and all other content Copyrighted©Karyn Granrud, Susanne Queck and Wunderlander Verlag LLC, or ©Pro Stock Media via Canva.com. Unlicensed republishing permitted. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn on qualified purchases.

    Karyn Granrud

    Karyn Granrud

    I'm Karyn, a mom and wife, and I founded this little baking blog. Baking and making desserts have been my passion since I was a kid. I love experimenting with different flavors and sharing delicious recipes with all of you. Read more.

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