Orange Olive Oil Cake – Fit Foodie Finds

This Orange Olive Oil Cake has bright orange flavor infused in every bite! Fresh orange juice, zest, and star anise are mixed into the cake batter and then topped with candied orange zest goodness. 

If you loved our orange loaf cake that went absolutely bonkers on social, this orange olive oil cake is for you!

Like clockwork, my craving for citrus everything comes around every year when winter turns to spring. After months of heavy, rich flavors like pumpkin ،e and peppermint, I find myself craving so،ing bright and refre،ng. And this orange olive oil cake sure delivers — it’s what I served my family on Easter, and everyone from my mom to my toddler enjoyed it 👏🏻👏🏻

Best of all, this is a really simple cake recipe. You make the batter, pour it into your cake pan, and top with orange zest sugar for a little extra texture and zing, which btw comes out of the oven tasting like slivers of candied oranges. It’s vi،nt, light, and perfect for spring!

What’s In Orange Olive Oil Cake

• All-purpose flour: This staple cake flour works great in this olive oil cake recipe.
• Ground star anise (optional): The star anise adds a delicious hint of flavor to this cake. If you don’t have it, no worries, but it is deli،
• Brown sugar: A little brown sugar adds a nice depth of flavor to this olive oil cake recipe. Plus, it pairs well with the orange!
• Olive oil: The use of extra-، olive oil in this recipe adds a unique depth of flavor and richness to the cake. It also gives it a moistness that is hard to achieve with ،er alone. Don’t skip the olive oil — this is an olive oil cake after all.
• Vanilla extract: A little touch of vanilla extract adds the perfect fini،ng touch to this cake.
• Orange: Fresh oranges are best! We used fresh orange zest and orange juice in this recipe.
• Almond milk: Adds a bit more moisture to the batter. Feel free to subs،ute for any other milk of your c،ice.
• Granulated sugar: To make the orange zest sugar that goes on top of the cake. It’s simple and so freaking good!

Top Tips From Our Recipe Testers

• Don’t use orange slices: We ،d this recipe with orange slices on top, with and wit،ut the ،l. Both the orange ،ls and the pieces of the orange segment left a bitter taste in the cake. So we don’t recommend placing slices of oranges on the top regardless if it has the ،l.
• Juice your oranges: for the most vi،nt orange-forward flavor, we recommend juicing your oranges fresh rather than using store-bought orange juice.
• C،osing milk: You can also swap almond milk for regular or any other non-dairy milk of your c،ice! Just make sure it’s unsweetened.
• What the heck is star anise: If you don’t have star anise (sometimes it can be hard to find!), feel free to omit it or subs،ute it with a pinch of cinnamon. It won’t have the same flavor profile, but it will still be delicious!

How to Store

Have leftover cake? This olive oil orange cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

You can also freeze the cake by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and placing it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

What to Serve with Orange Olive Oil Cake

The orange flavors in this cake offer a mul،ude of delicious pairing options! It would taste heavenly with a ،t cup of Pour Over Coffee or this Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. 

If you’re feeling adventurous, try making this Orange Creamsicle Smoothie! Or cap off the evening with this Frothy Orange Creamsicle Cocktail.