The first time I made an olive oil cake, I accidentally turned the oven off. After it spent 40 minutes languishing in a lukewarm oven, I thought I’d save myself the embarrassment and quietly retire it from our Thanksgiving menu that year. Perhaps it was the holiday spirit in the air, but, much to my surprise, the cake didn’t merely turn out edible. It was perfectly golden, crisp, and appallingly delicious, earning the status as everyone’s favorite dessert that night—even more so than the Nutella pizza I had spent 30 minutes meticulously decorating.
Olive oil cakes, like all of the best recipes, can be modified according to your flavor palate or the season in which they’re made, though the most common variations are typically citrus-focused—a hallmark of their Mediterranean origins.
Much of the cake’s elegance lies in its simplicity. No decoration is required beyond a simple powdered sugar dusting or a rustic layer of frosting. Though it may look like an attempt to bake banana bread in a cake pan, it carries subtle notes of citrus, the herbaceous aroma of olive oil, and, of course, a perfectly crispy exterior. All you need to be impressive is a good quality olive oil, and, because of all the moisture in the batter, there’s hardly any chance of overbaking drying out the cake. Even for the most hopeless baker, it would be an achievement to truly mess up this one-bowl dessert.
And, if that’s not convincing enough for you, olive oil cakes will always taste better the next day! Utilizing olive oil as the primary fat in place of something like butter creates both a unique, subtle fruity flavor and an exceptionally tender crumble that will stay fresh for days. Thus, they are also the perfect dessert to prepare in advance—and if you somehow have leftovers, re-toast them like slices of bread and you’ll be left with an extra-crispy sweet treat that smells like citrus and sunlight!
If you’re on the hunt for a dessert to impress your roommates, a new Thanksgiving dish, or a go-to recipe for when you’re in a pinch, an olive oil cake is your answer! The cakes are incredibly adaptable; you can fit them into any holiday season array—whether it’s pumpkin spice and apple cinnamon come sweater weather, or cranberry mint as you’re decking the halls.
Personally, this past Easter, I did not budget enough time to spend six hours prepping a perfect pie, and following some searching in my family’s herb garden, I landed on a perfect rosemary sugar citrus olive oil cake.
Kat’s Take on a Rosemary Citrus Olive Oil Cake
(Modeled after NYC’s Maialino’s Famous Recipe)
I now refuse to spend $14 for a singular slice, but theirs is the best!
Ingredients
- 1 cup high-quality olive oil
- 3 eggs (or your preferred substitute: my favorite is applesauce!)
- 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour (*note: if you want the cake to be gluten-free, feel free to substitute all-purpose flour with almond. I do a partial sub here for flavor. Almond flour can be denser and more absorbent, so the final cake may have a slightly different texture, or require minor adjustments like adding a little extra liquid to keep it moist, but generally this tends to be a very gluten-free friendly recipe!)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup white/granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh, finely chopped rosemary
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons grated orange/lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh orange/lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons amaretto (optional, but it is the best Italian liquor for baking ever!)
Kat’s Note: Almond flour adds a nutty depth and makes this recipe gluten-free-friendly if you do a total substitution, though it can slightly change the texture. Add a splash of extra liquid if needed!
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, spray it with cooking spray; set this aside.
Add about 2-3 tablespoons of sugar to a small bowl with freshly chopped rosemary; rub together using your fingers—this will release the rosemary oil and essence, giving you an aromatic rosemary sugar!
In another bowl, beat eggs and remaining sugar until mixture is foamy and pale yellow.
Slowly add remaining wet ingredients (olive oil, eggs, orange/lemon zest and juice, and amaretto) into bowl, whisk.
Add rosemary sugar to the batter and whisk until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder) until combined.
Sift the dry mix over the wet mix, gently fold together until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Add any mix-ins, or keep it simple!
Pour the mixture into prepared pan. Tap the pan gently to pop any air bubbles. Set carefully in oven and bake for 35–45 minutes. A finished cake will be golden brown. You can test by inserting a skewer to see if it comes out clean!
Let cake rest briefly in pan, then run knife along the edge, flip it onto the rack, let it cool completely.
Once cake is fully cooled, add toppings! If desired, dust cake with powdered sugar; garnish with rosemary and citrus zest!
Olive oil cake is forgiving, so feel free to add your own spin! For example: swapping in a bit of brown sugar creates a deeper, caramelized flavor, while adjusting the olive oil changes the richness of the crumb. Mix-ins can range from freeze-dried fruit to nuts and spices, including cinnamon, cardamom, or pumpkin spice. My personal favorite adjustments are to substitute part of the all-purpose flour for almond flour and to always add a splash of Italian amaretto!
Katherine Hernandez can be reached at khernandez@wesleyan.edu.
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