Orange Olive Oil Cake with Pistachios
/private_media/recipes_images/2023/02/27/22/1677536460.3013244_file.webp?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAVLLBXKY7FQLGSZWS%2F20250425%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20250425T043204Z&X-Amz-Expires=3600&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEIn%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLXdlc3QtMSJGMEQCIB52cDbuAwdHqug46NVZmEquxt6qABee75eKVMmKJ5BxAiB%2FtAu3xSdHYSujsH1onfHEswnFBXFoxGjoVSYpZ9XxqirrAwgiEAMaDDM2Nzk2MTUyNzg3MCIMbx0bZjLLlHfbsCyMKsgD0uCcoG42CrgCbLOd%2FV6ztWwIOqSeawV9VNGDyqd7xVxXtzxPBHuxF4hhbALxBibGLFVbLNxQTfCNDsXz2n%2BonLmxtsc3U1j%2Bxn4l%2FfcTcEqVGvqt02n1SZgDmINoBtLknYGOTdo86OCGZK4SgE06AWcBdkpGdcyVcbkty6nlC3jAW%2FnnYR3TsUYResdw8Wh1qxZc5e8jKm5E5n%2FPveQCwGjgkXz9pOgVcsLcoCj7jvEFQjdlAoN5%2FeUz8b4Jyn33HeshZ8GLmXMi3TdAfe2TiPDPItzQxrcyZwfA8QzvgntGCi%2BHmoM2LubVo6eJO3gbn%2BGztENEVFaNc597uoe3JyJOyDunT82cyXivNR%2FhZvA22WuTcQvXJ9aQv3qBmKII%2Bmrs16Ub1HOALrrGZyiDsdJ8qyG5ImQe9J2X0DNBvXNZz9aNk2iqkk%2B224AN6eHlcYD%2Buw0ynb%2FNUcnLLy4XHQtLb5QRfKsIdLFRXe%2B%2BA3aB7OPSneeUYNZ81ZhU6RhvAN%2FAcuP2UwHg%2Bu8vEswhVhAE55QbOX4zXKjuYC0f0QZ6UeyFr2DMXkdja3gpxTBIfDmmOhE2mviLx%2FZX%2BP3RPbanite%2FtH8QMOvBq8AGOqYBGBAtBlPLgfBrZ427IgAL2%2BCx3BfCEhBW0ShOSGc%2BAlPv%2BIKuNoV6e7QAnwvxJcKyZkLqBrrz9W7%2F5pnFmD5JI5aDgTuiOz%2B68nC4fdHM7PC1vsJ4fenb88Z1bRH7QbyRS2FGNuoJZikxuVn17iD6F%2BdPsZCyGPAPMCBYxXvGzRELFc42xiu1hh3KMm4cNWd%2BYwAu44l%2BnWS15wmDgDGk1b0DY0oLsA%3D%3D&X-Amz-Signature=fa4c5f1906be905304c46689b1eed71a8a44079f11d2a1216223f9d83c0da6ac)
This cake is so good that I've made it once a week for the past 3 weeks and don't plan on stopping any time soon. It's great as a light, barely sweet dessert, with a cup of afternoon tea, or for breakfast with fresh berries and a cup of coffee. It keeps at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for almost a week (if it lasts that long). And I swear it gets better with each day that it sits on the counter. There's a tangy orange juice and zest glaze on top, and crunchy chopped pistachios. You can totally skip the pistachios if you don't like them - but definitely don't skip the glaze! This thing is sunshine on a plate - so make one for yourself and one for a friend, you won't regret it.
Yields 1 10 inch cake. You can bake it in a loaf pan as well, but you'll need to increase the baking time.
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a 10-inch cake pan with a piece of parchment paper (if using a round pan, trace the bottom of the pan on a piece of parchment, cut out the circle, and place it in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray). Spray the top of the parchment with a little non-stick spray.
In a large mixing bowl, add the 1 C granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Zest 2 of the oranges into the sugar. Using your clean and dried hands, gently massage the zest and sugar mixture to work the zest into the sugar. It should be very fragrant and turn the sugar a light orange color. Do this for 1-2 minutes.
Juice 1 of the zested oranges into a liquid measuring cup. You should have about 1/4 cup of fresh orange juice. If you have less than 1/4 cup, juice half of the other orange. Add 1/4 cup of fresh orange juice to the mixing bowl, followed by the 3/4 cup olive oil, the 3 whole eggs, and the 1 C almond flour. Whisk together until the mixture is very smooth.
Add the 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, the 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to the bowl. Whisk to combine until the mixture is smooth and there are no streaks or clumps of flour / dry ingredients.
Pour the cake batter into your parchment lined prepared cake pan. Place in the 350 F preheated oven and bake for ~35-40 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Depending on your oven and pan, it could take up to 45 minutes to bake. If you bake this in a loaf pan, it will take closer to an hour.
Remove the cake from the oven and place on your cold stove top or a wire cooling rack. Immediately poke holes all over the cake with a wooden skewer or toothpick. Juice 1/2 an orange over the top of the cake, letting the juice absorb into the freshly baked cake. (you should have 1 full orange left at this point).
Let the cake cool for ~15 minutes in the pan, then gently invert it on a plate or wire rack to remove it from the pan (you may want to run an offset spatula around the cake in the pan before gently flipping it to help release it). Peel the parchment off the bottom, then gently flip the cake back upright using a plate or wire rack to help you.
Let the cake cool completely while you make the glaze and prep the topping for the cake.
To make the glaze, add 1 C powdered / confectioners sugar to a small or medium mixing bowl. Zest your remaining orange into the bowl of powdered sugar. Then juice the orange into the powdered sugar. Stir or whisk the sugar, juice, and zest together with a small whisk or a large fork until smooth. It should be pourable but not super runny. If it's too runny, add a tablespoon more of powdered sugar at a time and whisk thoroughly before adding more as needed. If it's too thick, squeeze a little more orange juice into it and stir. If you've run out of orange juice you could add a little lime juice or even a tiny splash or milk or water. You want the consistency to be thick but pourable.
Chop the 1/3 cup shelled pistachios and set aside.
Once the cake is completely cooled, set it on a plate or cake stand (whatever you want to serve or store it on). Give the glaze one more thorough mix, then gently pour it over the middle of the cake. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the glaze around the top of the cake out to the edges. If it's a bit thin and runs off the sides of the cake, don't worry. You can use the offset spatula and run it around the sides of the cake to help some of that glaze adhere to the sides. Top the cake with the chopped pistachios, and serve! Store at room temperature well wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days.