Portuguese Orange Olive Oil Cake
This Portuguese orange olive oil cake has an unforgettably tender crumb and a citrus smack thanks to fruity olive oil, winter navel oranges, and orange zest.
Equipment
- 12-cup light-colored Bundt or tube pan (A dark pan will turn out a cake that sticks and is unpleasantly brown. I use Nordic Ware's Anniversary Bundt Pan.)
Ingredients
- Cake Goop, (above), or nonstick baking spray with flour
- 4 to 5 large navel oranges
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups mild, fruity extra-virgin olive oil
- Confectioners' sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven, remove any racks above it, and crank up the heat to 350°F (180°C). Coat a 12-cup Bundt or tube pan with Cake Goop or baking spray and set aside.
- Finely grate the zest of 3 oranges into a medium bowl and rub it into the 3 cups granulated sugar with your fingertips. Set aside.
- Squeeze the juice from 4 oranges. You should have 1 1/2 cups of orange juice; if not, squeeze the fifth orange.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer in a large bowl, beat the 5 large eggs on medium-high speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Spoon in the orange sugar and continue beating until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
- Switch to low speed and alternate adding the flour mixture and the 1 1/2 cups mild, fruity extra-virgin olive oil, starting and ending with the flour and beating until just a few wisps of flour remain.
- Drizzle in the orange juice, with the mixer on its lowest setting, to bring the batter together.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, about 1 1/4 hours. Check the cake occasionally, and if the top begins to brown a touch too much, loosely cover it with foil.
- When the cake's done, place the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
☞ TESTER TIP: Don't forget to come back after 15 minutes. Seriously. If the cake remains in the pan too long, the sugars begin to cool and stick to the pan.)
- Turn the cake out onto the wire rack and let it cool completely. (I know. Resist the temptation.) Place the cake on a covered cake stand and let it sit overnight.
☞ TESTER TIP: Seriously. This dense, moist, fruity cake only gets better with age. Don't even think about taking a bite until the day after you make it—or even the day after that.
- Just before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 318mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 46g