Orange Olive Oil Cake

This gluten free and vegan Orange Olive Oil Cake is one of our favorite winter desserts. It's easy to make, super flavorful, spongy and such a beautiful light dessert, snack or even breakfast!

Why we love this recipe

I just love this cake. The colors, the moist, olive oil cake, the bright, refreshing citrus...everything about it is lovely!

It's the type of cake that makes me want to make a cup of tea, curl up on the couch and read a Victorian era novel next to the fireplace. On a rainy day. Perhaps located in the English countryside. Definitely wearing a cozy sweater.

This olive oil cake is completely gluten free and vegan, but it's certainly not lacking in texture or flavor!

It's an excellent use of winter citrus and makes for a perfect light dessert, snack or even breakfast. (We won't tell 😉)

Ingredients

Here are a few of the essential ingredients you'll need to make this vegan orange olive oil cake:

• Citrus slices
• Good quality olive oil
• Freshly squeezed citrus juice and citrus zest
• Cointreau (or another orange-flavored liqueur)
• Gluten free flour (all purpose, oat and almond flour)
• Applesauce (as a vegan sub for eggs)
• Baking essentials like sugar, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, etc.

Ingredient Notes

• Applesauce: If you're new to vegan/gluten free baking, applesauce may seem like a strange ingredient for this cake. However, since we're not using eggs, applesauce helps act as a binder, while also adding moisture to the cake. It's best to opt for an unsweetened, smooth variety with no added flavors.
• Gluten free flours. We use a mixture of three different gluten free flours in this cake: regular all purpose, almond and oat. Each brings something different to the party. We've found that using all regular all purpose gluten free flour leads to a gummy, bizarre cake texture. The almond and oat combination helps balance it out and creates a much spongier, tender cake.
• Xanthan gum. Although most gluten free flour blends already contain xanthan gum, we've found that a little extra really makes a difference with the final texture. Plus, it's a perfectly safe ingredient since we're using it in such a small amount. You can order it online or find at most specialty grocery stores.
• Orange zest. Be sure to purchase organic oranges and wash the orange well before zesting into the batter.
• Orange liqueur. An optional, but encouraged ingredient. It adds SO much flavor to this cake!
• Olive oil. The star ingredient! The better quality, the better this cake will taste. We really love using this brand in our cakes - it's so flavorful and rich!

How to make this orange olive oil cake

Prepare citrus

To prepare the citrus for the bottom of the cake, use a knife to completely remove the outer peel. Then, turn the citrus on its side and slice into ¼" rounds. Try to remove any seeds or extra pith.

It's super important to pat the citrus slices dry with a paper towel before using in this cake. If they have too much moisture, they'll make the cake soggy.

Start by arranging the citrus in the center of the pan and work outwards. When you get to the edges, you may have to fill in with some odds and ends, but don't worry. As long as the colors are vibrant, it will look stunning when it's finished no matter the arrangement!

Use as many or as few citrus slices as you'd like. We went all out. Why not? The more, the better, at least when it comes to this citrus upside down cake.

Make batter

This batter for this orange olive oil cake comes together quickly and easily.

Start by whisking together olive oil, almond milk, applesauce, orange juice and zest, maple syrup, vanilla and orange liqueur. Add sugar and whisk well.   

In a smaller bowl, combine all purpose flour, almond flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, cinnamon, and salt.

Using an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer), slowly add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing on a low speed, until the batter is smooth.

Pour the cake batter over the orange slices covering the bottom of the pan. Smooth out with a spatula.

Bake

Bake for 45 minutes, then cover the cake with aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Use a toothpick or small knife to determine doneness. If it comes out clean, it's ready.

Remove cake from oven and let it cool in pan for 30-40 minutes. Then place a cooling rack over the top of the pan and carefully flip onto cooling rack.

Carefully remove parchment paper, and let the cake cool completely before slicing.

Expert Tips and FAQs

• When it comes to choosing the citrus for the upside down part, you can opt for all one variety, or mix things up like we did. All blood orange would make for a beautiful cake. We used a mixture of blood oranges, cara cara oranges, clementines, and a few meyer lemon slices.
• We strongly suggest using parchment paper, otherwise the cake may be difficult to remove. We love this parchment paper for cakes – it has easy lift handles for quick removal!
• Let the cake cool down a bit after it comes out of the oven. Use a butter knife to loosen the edges of the cake, then carefully flip on to a cooling rack. Peel off the parchment paper, and voilà! The perfect citrus upside down cake.
• We have not tried this recipe with regular all purpose flour. However, it should work perfectly fine. If you're not gluten free, substitute the gluten free all purpose flour, oat flour AND almond flour with an equal amount (3 ¼ cups) regular all purpose flour.

More vegan cake recipes to try

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