Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

I have a huge sweet tooth, so when I see a new cake recipe online, I am eager to test it out for myself! This blood orange olive oil cake was no exception and after a few iterations, it is a new favorite. This cake is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, but adding fresh whipped cream will make this cake more sweet than tart. If blood oranges are not in season, you can substitute for tangerines instead. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake recipe.

4 – 5 medium blood oranges or tangerines

1 1⁄3 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 1⁄4 cups extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with Bakers Joy. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and smooth it to eliminate air bubbles.

Slice oranges as thinly as possible, positioned on its side, shaving off rounds that are no thicker than 1⁄8 inch. The thinner the slices, the softer the pith will become while baking keeping the cake from being too bitter. Reserve the ends of the oranges for squeezing juice. Arrange the orange slices in an overlapping pattern across the bottom of the pan and set aside.

Squeeze the reserved ends of the blood oranges into a medium bowl until you have 2 tablespoons of juice. Add 1⁄3 cup of the sugar to the bowl with the juice and whisk until you have a smooth slurry. Pour the slurry on top of the arraigned oranges.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine and eliminate any lumps. In a small bowl, stir together the Grand Marnier, orange zest, and vanilla extract and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and the remaining 1 cup sugar starting on low to break up the eggs and gradually increasing to high, until the mixture is very light, thick, and pale, and it falls off the whisk back into the bowl in a slowly dissolving ribbon, about 5 minutes.

With the mixer still on high speed, gradually stream in the oil and beat until fully incorporated and the mixture is even thicker, it will be slightly reduced in volume. (Adding too much oil too soon will overwhelm the eggs and cause the mixture to break.)

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the Grand Marnier mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Gently pour the batter over the blood orange slices, making sure not to disturb them, and smooth the top. Transfer the cake to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake until the top is golden brown, and the center is firm to the touch, 35 to 45 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Remove the outer ring, invert the cake onto a wire rack and remove the circular base, and carefully peel away the parchment. For the best flavor and texture, wrap the cake in plastic and let it sit at room temperature for at least a day before serving.

Recipe adapted from Claire Saffitz.