Orange Olive Oil Cake with Rosemary Glaze

This orange olive oil cake is made with blood orange-infused olive oil, Cara Cara oranges, crushed lavender, and topped with a rosemary glaze. As simple to make as any other cake, this decadent recipe is loaded with layers of flavor.

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The Best Orange Olive Oil Cake

I’ve mentioned this on the blog once or twice before – but it bears repeating – I am not a very proficient baker. 

I tend to be impatient, and I’m not really one for measuring precisely. That said, I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making an olive oil cake. It just sounds classy and vaguely European…

So, when Frank and I stumbled into the Olive Oil & Vinegar Bar in Cannon Beach, Oregon (read about that trip here), that sparked the idea to try this recipe.

For this orange olive oil cake, I used blood orange olive oil along with fresh juice and zest from Cara Cara oranges. You could just as easily make a lemon olive oil cake by swapping lemon olive oil and lemon juice. 

As for the rosemary glaze, I used fresh rosemary, which adds a beautiful layer of flavor, complimenting the orange perfectly. There’s also crushed lavender in this olive oil cake recipe, though I promise it’s very subtle.

What’s in this Orange Olive Oil Cake?

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Lavender
• Sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs
• Orange zest
• Milk
• Orange olive oil

For the rosemary glaze:

• Milk
• Fresh rosemary
• Powdered sugar
• Fresh orange juice
• Salt

Make it Yours

This recipe is perfect as is, but if you’re interested, there are plenty of adjustments to be made so you can enjoy this recipe a little differently each time. Here are some of my recommendations:

• Swap orange olive oil for lemon olive oil (and swap the zest and juice for lemon zest and lemon juice)
• Swap rosemary for basil for a basil glaze
• Omit the glaze in place of a dusting of confectioner’s sugar
• To make an orange cardamom olive oil cake, swap lavender for one teaspoon of ground cardamom in your cake mix

How to Make Orange Olive Oil Cake

1. Prep work: Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly oil and flour a 9-inch cake pan.
2. Combine dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, minus the zest and lavender, as these will be combined with your wet ingredients.
3. Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, include the lavender and zest. Save the oil for last and slowly drizzle it in as the blender runs.
4. Combine dry and wet ingredients: In batches, add the dry ingredients to the blender and gently blend to combine. Transfer the batter to your cake pan and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5. Make the glaze: Combine milk and rosemary in a microwave-safe mug and heat for 45 seconds. Let stand for 5 minutes, then strain the rosemary and add the rest of the glaze ingredients, whisking to combine.
6. Drizzle the glaze over the cake: Drizzle half of the glaze, let sit for 5 minutes, then drizzle the rest of the glaze.

I recommend using a standing mixer or an electric hand mixer, though you could do this by hand with a whisk or spatula.