Orange & Zucchini Olive Oil Cake

When zucchini is in season, there’s no better way to use it up than with a cake! This one-bowl wonder of a recipe goes together in a pinch and uses olive oil to moisten the entire dessert. Flavored with orange, it’s the best of late summer produce with a simple, sweet glaze!

Olive oil in a cake? You betcha!

Unlike most ingredients, zucchini has the unique ability to be used in both savory and sweet recipes. No matter the flavor profile, zucchini finds a way to blend right in. This cake is a new way to enjoy the bounty of a summer garden.

Olive oil cakes are prized for their simplicity in flavor and preparation. While zucchini adds moisture to any cake, adding olive oil makes it even moister while adding an additional light flavor to complement the zucchini.

To add more bright flavor, orange zest is mixed into the cake along with a small amount of almond extract. The orange and almond take this cake from something good to something great. Chocolate zucchini cake will always have its place, but it will need to share a spot with this new favorite.

Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.

A simple cake should have simple ingredients, and that’s exactly the case with this olive oil cake. The two odd ingredients, zucchini and almond extract, should be pretty easy to find if you don’t already have them in your pantry. Here are some of the important ingredients:

• Olive oil takes the place of the traditional neutral-flavored oil that’s often used in zucchini recipes. For the best tasting results, choose an olive oil that you would cook with.
• Greek yogurt adds two things to this cake: additional moisture and a bit of tang and acidity. If you don’t have Greek yogurt on hand, simply use sour cream instead.
• Almond extract works extremely well with the orange zest that’s also added to the cake. Almond is a bit of a surprise extra flavor that will definitely be welcome.
• Orange zest is added directly to the cake batter and is enhanced by the almond extract, providing the perfect subtle pop of citrus.

Here’s how to make this recipe.

You know this cake is easy to make since it only has four simple steps. And in the summer, when the weather’s hot, it’s nice to spend as little time on preparation as possible. Here are the steps to make this cake:

1. Prepare the wet ingredients. In a bowl, add the eggs, and whisk them to break up the yolks. Add in the sugar and whisk to combine with the eggs. At this point, the batter should be pale yellow and should fall into a ribbon on itself when drizzled. Next, add the olive oil, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, almond extract, and orange zest. Mix all of the ingredients in the bowl together until combined.

2. Add in the zucchini and dry ingredients. Grate the zucchini into small pieces and add to the wet batter. Mix the zucchini into the batter. Next, add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix everything together until it is just combined. If a few dry streaks remain, that is perfectly fine.

3. Pour the batter into the pan and bake. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick baking spray (or use butter or grease) and layer on a piece of parchment. Pour in the batter and smooth the top to ensure the cake is pushed into all of the corners of the pan. Place in the oven and bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

4. Prepare the glaze. While the cake is cooling, the glaze can be prepared by combining the powdered sugar, orange juice, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Whisk all ingredients together to combine into a homogenous, glossy glaze. When the cake is fully cool, pour the glaze on the top and smooth it out to ensure the entire top is covered.

These pro tips will make this recipe a success.

• When zesting any citrus, like orange, in this case, hold the fruit in your palm. Take the grater and run it all over the citrus, keeping it steady. Let the grater do all of the moving. Since the grater will be face up, all of the zest will collect and can then be dumped into the batter.
• Small zucchini work best in baked recipes. If you do not have a small zucchini, make sure to slice the zucchini in half and remove the seeds from the center. This will reduce the water content of the zucchini and ensure that the cake does not come out too wet.
• For this cake, mix everything by hand. Sometimes, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer can lead to over-mixing. Since this is a simple one-bowl cake, mixing by hand is just the correct amount.

You’ll love these other cake recipes.

• Boston cream pie
• Vanilla bean layer cake
• Plum cornmeal cake
• Classic carrot cake
• S’mores ice cream cake
• Oatmeal cake with caramelized frosting
• Apple & spice cake

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