Spring is everywhere, flowers blooming, chickens laying more eggs, and my olive oil cake recipe is in the oven! I’ve been on a mission to make a bundt cake in the shape of a spring flower. No extra frosting detail or added toppings, I wanted the cake to look like a flower that was just opening, all by itself. It took me a few tries, but I’m super happy with the results. With the right bundt pan, half the batter, and few baking techniques the orange blossom cake was created!!
Besides the fun shape, this cake is bursting with citrus flavor. I’ve incorporated Orange Blossom Honey, fresh orange zest, and a floral infused olive oil. Say what?!!! Yes, its amazing!! This little bundt cake screams orange blossoms. Oh yeah, I even added a little orange frosting to drizzle. Hope you’re a citrus fan.
Baking With Honey..
Baking with honey gives a natural sweetener to your cakes, but also added flavor. The most important thing is to not go over board and create a soggy mushy texture. In this recipe I only used ½ cup honey, the cake is wonderfully moist without being too sticky. I’m sure every baker has a story of the cake they added too much honey to and ended up throwing in the trash. (I definitely do!)
Orange Zest in Cakes
The next powerful ingredient is orange zest. Anytime you want a punch of citrus in your baking, just zest the peel. I added 2 teaspoons for a nice medium flavor, but if you’re feeling wild add a full tablespoon.
To enhance the orange flavors from the orange blossom honey and the orange zest, I chose to use a floral olive oil over butter. This can be risky and create more moisture in the cake. But, with just the right amount, the flavors complimented the orange without making the cake too dense. I love adding olive oil to cakes for a more tender crumb. I was so excited when the first bite tasted smooth, then a rush of orange and light floral flavors flooded my tongue.
Now, onto the shaping of the cake. The bundt cake pans I found look most like a flower blossom are the Nordic Ware Blossom, Crown, and Rose Bundt Pans. Either pan will work for this recipe. The trick is just enough batter, so the pan doesn’t completely fill all the way, lower baking temp, and a split coloration. Check out my tips below!
Tips for baking this Olive Oil Cake Recipe
- Measure or weigh ingredient amounts to be exact.
- Use a decorative bundt pan. This cake was made with the Nordicware Crown Bundt Pan.
- Orange blossom honey has a fabulous flavor, but regular honey is easily substituted.
- Choose a flavored olive oil, something light with complimentary tones. If you don’t have that option, regular oil works fine too. Or you can switch the oil out completely for 8 Tbsp of melted butter (cooled before mixing). Choosing to use butter will alter the flavor of the cake.
- Spray your decorative pan with a non-stick baking spray that includes flour. I have found it to be a major pain to butter and flour a bundt pan. Sorry, but spray just works better if you plan on keeping the shape intact.
- Bake cake at 325 F for 35-45 minutes on the middle to lowest rack, until a toothpick inserted comes out with just crumbs.
- The bottom of the cake will be lighter in color, since it is not directly in contact with the pan. Don’t freak out and over bake it. You will burn the top half.
- Having a little bit of sticky crumbs on the bottom is normal. It’s a honey cake remember 🙂
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan before flipping over.
- Serve with orange glaze!
- Store cake in an air tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Olive Oil Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 2 Cups (256 g) All Purpose Flour
- 1.5 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 1.5 tsp Ground Ginger
- 2 tsp Orange Zest
- 6 Tbsp Olive Oil floral or citrus infused of choice
- ½ Cup (170 g) Orange Blossom Honey
- ½ Cup (125 ml) Milk
- 2 Eggs beaten with a fork
- ¼ Cup (50 g) Granulated Sugar
Orange Glaze
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F (163 C) and prepare floral designed bundt pan of choice. (spray with non-stick spray or a thin coating of butter and flour.)
- In a medium bowl, hand whisk together sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger and orange zest.
- In the bowl of stand mixer, with paddle attachment, add honey, olive oil, milk, sugar, and slightly beaten eggs.
- Mix on medium with paddle attachment until smooth.
- Slowly spoon in flour mixture on medium speed until a cake batter is formed. (scrape sides and bottom of bowl to incorporate all ingredients.
- Pour batter evenly around center of bundt pan.
- Place pan middle to lowest rack and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Place pan on cooling rack to completely cool before removing.
- Make orange glaze by adding 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice to 1 cup powdered sugar. Stir with a whisk. If you want a thicker glaze add more powdered sugar. If you want a thinner glaze add 1 -2 teaspoons of orange juice at a time and stir.
- Eat and enjoy!