The details
This Olive Oil Cake with Roasted Balsamic Strawberries cake is. SO. GOOD. If you’re not an olive oil cake lover, allow me to convert you. Olive oil is liquid at room temp which keeps this cake nice and moist. EVOO imparts a wonderful fruitiness and pairs with a light orange flavor in the cake so well. But what really takes this cake over the top is the balsamic-roasted strawberries. Lord. I can’t believe I’ve never tasted this before, especially since it’s so easy to whip up. Simply mix slices strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and honey on a baking sheet. Roast and voila. The result is juicy, jammy, complex, and sings when paired with the floral and fruity notes in the cake.
One thing I love about this cake is that before you add the batter to the cake pan, you add a layer of EVOO and sugar, which results in a sugary crust on the bottom (later, the top) of the cake. It’s very decadent and texturally awesome. This cake is also unintentionally dairy-free, so it’s a great choice for the lactose-challenged pal in your life.
Though this cake comes together really easily, a few technical notes. When you add the EVOO to the sugar/egg mix, stream it in VERY slowly (like over the course of 5+ minutes) while the mixer is on. This allows it to emulsify properly. Also, use freshly squeezed OJ! As in, buy an orange and use the zest and juice in this cake. We gotta do the orange justice.
I hope you love this cake as much as I do!
similar recipes
Love olive oil in bakes as much as I do? Give my Overnight Olive Oil Cinnamon Rolls a try. They’re amazing.
If you’re a strawberry person, you’ll probably enjoy the my Dreamy Strawberry Buttercream.
bake to this music
Olive Oil Cake + Roasted Balsamic Strawberries
This cake is for the olive oil and balsamic lover in your life. The cake is moist with notes of fruity olive oil, orange, and sweet vanilla. It’s topped with absolutely delicious balsamic and honey-roasted strawberries. YUM! This is one of my favorites to date.
- Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the olive oil cake:
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 3/4 cup cake flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
For the roasted strawberries:
- 4 cups sliced strawberries
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare one 8 inch round cake pan with parchment and cooking spray.
- Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into the prepared cake pan. Brush it to evenly coat bottom and sides of the pan. Sprinkle 1 tbsp granulated sugar over the olive oil. Set aside.
- Make the cake batter. In a large mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, beat eggs, remaining sugars, and orange zest on high for 3-5 minutes, until pale, fluffy, and thickened slightly. Slowly (over the period of 5 minutes) stream in the olive oil with the mixer going, making sure the olive oil is incorporating easily as you add more. Once the olive oil is added, batter will be slightly thicker, homogenous and shiny.
- In a small bowl, mix together extracts and orange juice. In a separate medium mixing bowl, mix cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking powder. With the mixer on low (or just a spatula), add the dry mixture and extracts/juice to the batter, alternating, starting and ending with the dry ingredients (dry, wet, dry, wet, dry). Mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour batter into the cake pan and smooth top with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until the top is very browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then invert directly onto a cake plate.
- Make your roasted strawberries. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread sliced strawberries onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Pour balsamic vinegar and honey over top the strawberries and mix to distribute. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the strawberries are jammy and reduced.
- Spoon warm strawberries onto your cooled cake. Serve immediately or store at room temperature for a few hours. Store in fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
- If you need to make this ahead, you can make the cake a day before serving and store at room temp, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Strawberries can be made ahead of time, stored in the fridge in a separate container, and warmed in the oven before use.
- This cake is dairy-free.
- Lemon juice + zest can be substituted for orange if needed.
[…] orange girl, especially in my baking. But my mind was officially changed when I came up with my Olive Oil Cake which uses fresh orange zest and juice. I couldn’t get enough. So much so that I wanted to […]