Olive Oil Panettone Cake

Name: Olive Oil Panettone Cake
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 12

Member Exclusive

35 MINPrep Time

60 MINCook Time

12Servings

by Giada De Laurentiis

Member Exclusive

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Newman

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Panettone is one of the great joys of an Italian Christmas, and this Olive Oil Panettone Cake is our homemade ode to the classic: moist, tender, and deeply aromatic thanks to olive oil, vanilla, orange zest, candied fruit, and currants. It delivers all the festive holiday flavor of traditional panettone.

The frosting is a cloud-like mascarpone and cream cheese dream that adds just the right amount of luxurious sweetness. Piled generously between the layers and swooped across the top, it makes this cake feel truly special and perfect for the holiday table, gifting, or any festive gathering where you want a guaranteed show-stopper.

Olive Oil Panettone Cake

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Servings

12

Prep Time

35 minutes

Cook Time

60 minutes

Ingredients

For The Cake:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, such as Coastal Puglia Coratina olive oil

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1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup whole fat greek yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, from one orange
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, from one orange
2/3 cup chopped candied orange peel (plus extra, for decorating, if desired)
2/3 cup dried currants or raisins

For the mascarpone frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar, packed
8 ounces mascarpone
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 8-inch round cake pan (at least 2 inches deep) and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each until the mixture looks pale and slightly thickened. Whisk in the yogurt, vanilla paste, orange zest and juice.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk gently just until smooth, being careful to not overmix. Fold in the candied orange peel and currants.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the cake is dark golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
To make the mascarpone frosting, add the cream cheese and powdered sugar to a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand-mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix slowly to combine the powdered sugar, then mix on medium-high speed until completely smooth, light, and free of any lumps. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix again to ensure it is fully incorporated. Add the mascarpone, vanilla extract and salt, and mix again on medium-high speed until fluffy and incorporated. Finally, add the cream. Mix on medium-high speed, being very careful to not overmix; frosting should appear smooth and hold stiff peaks, but going past this point can cause it to curdle. Cover the cream and chill in the fridge until ready to use.
Once the cake has cooled completely, carefully slice it in half horizontally into two layers using a serrated bread knife. Add roughly ⅓ of the frosting to the bottom half of the cake and smooth it out with an offset spatula or butter knife. Place the second cake layer on top and cover the rest of the cake with the frosting. Sprinkle candied orange peel on top for decoration, if desired.
Slice and serve.