Whole Orange Olive Oil Cake

A fragrant whole orange olive oil cake made with softened oranges, good olive oil and vanilla. The crumb is moist and tender, with little flecks of orange peel giving the cake its old-fashioned character.

Whole orange cake belongs to the kind of baking that feels generous and old-fashioned in the best way. The oranges are softened, blended with their peel, then folded through a simple olive oil batter so the flavour settles deeply into every slice. Little flecks of zest remain through the crumb, giving the cake character, warmth and that beautiful homemade finish. It is the sort of cake that keeps well on the bench and tastes even better the next day.

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 75 min · Serves: 10 · Cuisine: Mediterranean · Category: Cakes

Ingredients

Whole Orange Olive Oil Cake

• 2 medium oranges
• 3 eggs
• 1½ cups caster sugar
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Place the whole oranges into a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer gently for about 1 hour, or until the oranges are completely soft.
2. Drain the oranges and allow them to cool enough to handle.
3. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan-forced. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
4. Roughly chop the oranges and remove any seeds.
5. Place the oranges into a blender or food processor and pulse until mostly smooth, leaving small flecks of peel visible for texture and character.
6. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and caster sugar until slightly lighter and glossy.
7. Add the olive oil and vanilla, then whisk again until combined.
8. Stir through the blended orange.
9. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold gently until just combined.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
11. Bake for 70–75 minutes, or until the cake is deeply golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
12. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent the cake with foil for the final 15–20 minutes.
13. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
14. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Notes

Simmering the oranges first softens the peel and helps reduce harsh bitterness.

Do not blend the oranges completely smooth. Small flecks of peel give the cake its old-fashioned texture and citrus character.

If your oranges are very large or thick-skinned, use 1 large orange and 1 small orange rather than two large ones.

The batter should taste slightly sweeter than expected before baking, as the peel softens and settles in the oven.

This cake keeps well for several days and is often even better the next day.

The Grace Table Tip

Serve this cake with a light dusting of icing sugar and a spoonful of thick Greek yoghurt on the side. The yoghurt softens the citrus bitterness beautifully and makes each slice feel a little more special.

For a softer, less bitter cake, choose thin-skinned oranges where possible and avoid using very large thick-skinned oranges.