Candied Orange Olive Oil Cake (Printable)

Moist cake featuring olive oil, almond flour, and sweet candied oranges, perfect for sharing or teatime.

# What you need:

→ Candied Oranges

01 - 2 medium oranges, thinly sliced
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 cup water

→ Cake Batter

04 - 2 cups almond flour
05 - 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
06 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
12 - Zest of 1 orange
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ For Serving

14 - Powdered sugar for dusting
15 - Fresh mint leaves

# How to make it:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves completely. Add orange slices in a single layer and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until translucent. Remove from syrup with a slotted spoon and cool on a parchment-lined tray.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
03 - Arrange cooled candied orange slices on the bottom of the prepared pan, overlapping slightly if needed to create an even layer.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
05 - In another bowl, beat eggs and 3/4 cup sugar until pale and slightly thickened, approximately 2-3 minutes. Whisk in olive oil, Greek yogurt, orange zest, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
06 - Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
07 - Pour batter over the candied oranges, smoothing the top with a spatula to create an even surface.
08 - Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
09 - Invert the cake onto a serving plate and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired. Serve at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's gluten-free without tasting like a compromise, thanks to the almond flour giving you that tender, almost buttery crumb.
  • The olive oil keeps everything moist for days, so this cake actually gets better the next morning with your coffee.
  • Those candied oranges catch the light and make your dessert look far more impressive than the effort required to make it.
02 -
  • Room-temperature eggs and Greek yogurt are non-negotiable—cold dairy will seize your olive oil and create a grainy, separated batter that bakes into a dense cake instead of the tender result you're after.
  • That inversion moment is terrifying until you've done it once and realize the parchment paper is your friend—it peels away cleanly every single time, leaving those candied oranges perfectly intact and gorgeous.
  • Don't overbake by even a few minutes or you'll lose that moist crumb that makes this cake special; the toothpick test is your guide, and erring on the side of slightly underbaked is smarter than dry.
03 -
  • Make your candied oranges a day or two ahead and store them in their syrup in an airtight container—this actually improves their texture and gives you one less thing to manage on baking day.
  • Room-temperature ingredients aren't a suggestion; they're the difference between a silky batter and one that looks curdled and broken, which then bakes into something dense.
  • Invest in good olive oil for this cake because you're not cooking it into oblivion—you're tasting it directly, so cheap oil creates cheap taste.
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