This vegan orange olive oil cake is super moist and intensely flavorful! It’s a simple yet elegant dessert that’s super easy to make. You only need one bowl and no electric mixer!

If you find yourself in need of a super simple dessert recipe that’s sure to impress, this is your cake!

I know what you’re probably thinking, or at least I do if the concept of an olive oil cake is new to you. It’s probably the same thing my husband said when I first told him that I was working on an orange olive oil cake recipe.

Interesting.

That’s what he said! And I get it. If you’ve never baked with olive oil the idea might seem a little weird. Olive oil tastes like olives. Do we want olives in our dessert?

We do!

While the olive notes are detectable in this cake, the cake doesn’t taste at all like olives. The flavor is an undertone, and a mild one at that. It’ll complement the sweet, bright flavors from the orange juice and zest that we’ll be using. Trust me.

This cake is also super moist. I fed it to my family (non-vegans, by the way) and was told that the flavor and texture put in on par with a super moist pound cake.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Olive oil.
• Orange juice. Be careful here, as not all orange juice is vegan. Some brands are fortified with animal derived vitamin D3 or fish-based omega 3’s. So check the ingredients. Or better yet, squeeze your own orange juice. You’ll need to buy oranges to supply orange zest anyway.
• Non-dairy milk. Just about any variety other than canned coconut milk will work fine. Try oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, or cashew milk. Just make sure whatever you use is unflavored and unsweetened.
• Orange zest. See, I told you you’d need this!
• Vanilla extract.
• Flour. I’ve only tested the recipe with all-purpose wheat flour (also known as white flour), so I can’t promise results with any other variety.
• Sugar. Make sure to use organic sugar. Conventional granulated sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
• Baking powder.
• Baking soda.
• Salt.
• Powdered sugar. This is for topping our cake, and it’s totally optional. If you do use it, make sure it’s organic.

How It’s Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

Stir your wet ingredients together in a small container, such as a liquid measuring cup. This includes your olive oil, orange juice, non-dairy milk, orange zest, and vanilla. Make sure everything is at room temperature.

Whisk your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. This includes your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Tip: The acidity from your orange juice may cause the non-dairy milk to curdle when you combine them, particularly if you’re using a high-protein variety like soy milk. This is nothing to worry about.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir everything together until smooth. Stop stirring as soon as you’ve gotten out most (not necessarily all) of the lumps.

Pour the batter into an oiled and floured 9-inch cake pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula if needed. Pop the pan into the oven and bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack, making sure it’s completely cool before inverting it onto a plate. Optionally top your cake with some powdered sugar. I like to garnish mine with some mint leaves and orange slices.

Shelf Life & Storage

Vegan orange olive oil cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 days or in the freezer for about 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Vegan Cake Recipes

Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

Vegan Orange Olive Oil Cake

This vegan orange olive oil cake is super moist and intensely flavorful! It’s a simple yet elegant dessert that’s super easy to make. You only need one bowl and no electric mixer!

Ingredients

• ½
  cup
  olive oil
• ⅓
  cup
  orange juice
  (Note 1)
• ⅓
  cup
  unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 1
  tablespoon
  orange zest
  (Note 2)
• 1
  teaspoon
  vanilla extract
• 1 ¾
  cup
  all-purpose flour
• 1
  cup
  organic granulated sugar
• 1
  teaspoon
  baking powder
• ½
  teaspoon
  baking soda
• ½
  teaspoon
  salt
• Organic powdered sugar,
  for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Lightly oil and flour the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan.

3. In a small container such as a liquid measuring cup, stir together the olive oil, orange juice, milk, orange zest, and vanilla.

4. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

5. Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir the batter until almost all of the lumps are out. It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

7. Bake the cake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let the cake cool completely.

9. Once the cake is cool, carefully invert it onto a plate.

10. Optionally sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.

Recipe Notes

1. Be sure to check the ingredients if using store-bought orange juice, as many brands contain animal-derived additives. If using freshly squeezed, you’ll need about two decent-sized oranges.
2. Two oranges should be more than enough to give you this amount of zest.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Orange Olive Oil Cake

Amount Per Serving (1 slice (⅛ of cake))

Calories 310
Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 1.8g9%

Sodium 235mg10%

Potassium 117mg3%

Carbohydrates 47.5g16%

Fiber 0.9g4%

Sugar 26g29%

Protein 2.9g6%

Calcium 52mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.