This Orange Olive Oil Cake is scented with warming cardamom and cinnamon and SUPER moist! It’s baked with Greek yogurt and honey, and it’s dense – almost like a pound cake. AND it contains no refined sugar!
Once you’ve tried baking with olive oil, you may never go back. The Greeks and Italians have been doing it for a while, and the trend is catching on here as well, especially as the Mediterranean Diet gains popularity.
This cake is so much more guilt-free than many others. Yes, olive oil is still a fat, and yes, honey is still sugar, but it’s a lot healthier than other cakes made with vegetable oils and sugar.
Don’t worry- it doesn’t TASTE healthy. It tastes AMAZING. It’s moist and rich and the flavor combination of fresh orange with warm cardamom and cinnamon is out of this world (and these flavors go well with the earthy, nutty flavor of extra-virgin olive oil).
And it makes your house smell SO GOOD while it cooks!
Olive oil cake is often made with lemon. I wanted a more festive cake for the holiday season, so I used orange instead.
If you want, you can use this base recipe with whatever citrus you want- lemon, lime, even grapefruit!
And if you aren’t feeling the warm spices vibe, or aren’t a fan of cardamom, feel free to leave it out for a more simple version of this olive oil cake.
The best part about this orange olive oil cake is the frosting. That’s because there IS NO FROSTING.
A simple dusting of powdered sugar, with a little bit of extra orange zest, was all I added to top this cake off. You really don’t need anything else- the cake’s flavors are complex enough.
Although, if I were making this in a bundt pan, I may whip up an orange and honey glaze to pour on top. Maybe next time.
I did, however, serve the sliced cake with an extra drizzle of honey on top. Yum, yum. Delicious AND pretty.
Cardamom has a very potent flavor, so you have to be careful to not add too much, otherwise it may taste a bit soapy. I used 1/2 teaspoon, but if you only like a teeny bit of cardamom flavor, you can try just 1/4 teaspoon.
Cardamom always reminds me of the holidays, since my family has made Norwegian Waffles on Christmas morning for as long as I can remember. They’re flavored with cardamom, and they’re super dense and moist, unlike other waffles you may be used to.
Actually, they’re a LOT like this cake!
I might need to start a new tradition and make this orange olive oil cake for breakfast on Christmas morning instead. It sure is easier than dragging out a waffle maker (and it’s Christmas, so cake for breakfast is acceptable, right?).
If you like this Cardamom Spiced Orange Olive Oil Cake recipe, you’ll love this Spicy Gingerbread Cake with Orange Mascarpone Cream, this Chai Spiced Pumpkin Bread, and these Easy Meyer Lemon Bars….
Hi, I'm Elizabeth! I create easy, real food recipes for busy people. I'm a former HS art teacher, now full time food blogger. I live near Austin, TX with my hubby and two baby girls.