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Why I Love This Olive Oil Cake
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 a brighter 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.
Zucchini Olive Oil Cake Ingredients
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.
The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Zucchini Olive Oil Cake
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:
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 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 line with 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 50-60 minutes until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 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.
Recipe Tips
- When zesting any citrus, like an 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course! In this recipe, the two are interchangeable. A lot of times in the kitchen, if I’m baking and don’t have one or the other, I’ll use the one I do have on hand.
Yes, the extract can be omitted if necessary. But unless dealing with an allergy, I always urge that a recipe be tried once as written, at least the first time. The almond extract is not the main flavor of the cake, but simply enhances the other flavors.
This cake freezes beautifully and can be saved either whole or sliced and frozen as individual pieces. Freeze in an airtight container for up to three months!
Left at room temperature, the cake needs to be covered but will stay moist for two to three days. If the cake needs to be kept longer, I recommend freezing it for the best freshness.
Yes, the cake can be made in a 9 x 9-inch square cake pan. The bake time may vary slightly, so make sure to check with a skewer to ensure the center is fully baked before removing it.
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Orange & Zucchini Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
For the glaze
- ½ cup sifted powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan, fit parchment in the bottom, grease the parchment, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Whisk in the sugar until the mixture becomes slightly thick and pale yellow, 2-3 minutes. Add the olive oil, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, almond extract, and orange zest. Whisk to combine and fold in the shredded zucchini.2 large eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar, ⅔ cup olive oil, ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream), 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp almond extract, 1 tbsp orange zest, 2 cups shredded zucchini
- Once the zucchini is folded in, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use the whisk to combine gently, allowing the wet and dry ingredients to fall through the tines of the whisk until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the batter until even on top. Place in the preheated oven and bake until the top is golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean, 50-60 minutes.2 ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp kosher salt
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and set it on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Once slightly cooled, remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool completely.
- Once the cake is cooled, prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add more orange juice to thin or more powdered sugar to thicken. Slowly pour over the cooled cake and spread evenly on top. Slice and serve.½ cup sifted powdered sugar, 1-2 tbsp fresh orange juice, ½ tsp vanilla extract
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
This cake is absolutely delicious. I made it with GF all purpose flour and it turned out perfectly. The orange and hint of almond add a great flavor combination to this cake. I love the texture with the olive oil too. I will be making this again!
Sublime and unrivaled.
Made this several months ago. There are only two of us, so I put 1/2 in the freezer. Just pulled it out today and it honestly tastes as delicious as it did the first day I made it. Definitely a keeper. Thanks Kaleb!
Easy, moist and delicious. Everyone loved it!
I made this recipe but had to make a few substitutions. I didn’t want to use sugar so subbed real maple syrup. Also had no olive oil so subbed grape seed oil and had no orange so subbed lemon zest and lemon juice. It turned out amazing and only needed 55 minutes to be perfect even with more liquid. Fantastic recipe! Thanks!
Made this yesterday, delicious. Really loved it, thank you🤗
What an amazing recipe. Easy as well! I made and it’s almost all gone in 2 days! My 7 year old can’t get enough of it so I’ll be making more soon.
I made two small changes that didn’t affect the texture, appearance or taste. I used flax seed meal instead of eggs (this is very odd but I can’t stand the smell of eggs in baked goods so I use flax seed meal instead) and I decreased the amount of sugar to 3/4 cup. This recipe is definitely a keeper!