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Photo Credit: Elizabeth Newman

Sorrento Orange Olive Oil Cake

This cake is light and airy with delicate notes of citrus and olive, just like a warm breeze on the cliffs in Sorrento. Be sure to top each slice with a generous dollop of lightly whipped sweetened cream for the full joyous experience.

Sorrento Orange Olive Oil Cake - Image by Elizabeth Newman

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Sorrento Orange Olive Oil Cake

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Servings

1 Serving

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

35 minutes

Calories

442

Author:

Giada De Laurentiis

Image of Sorrento Orange Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest, from 1 small orange
  • 1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup orange infused olive oil
  • 2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted and crumbled
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting
  • Lightly whipped cream, for serving
  • Fresh orange segments, for serving, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8-inch-diameter cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Lightly oil the paper and set aside.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to blend. Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the sugar, eggs, and zest on high until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the milk and gradually beat in the oil. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the almonds reserving a few to scatter on top. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and sprinkle with the remaining almonds.

  3. Place the cake pan on straight sided baking sheet to collect any possible spills. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool for 15 minutes. Remove cake from the pan and cool completely, top side up.
  4. To serve, dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar. Cut the cake into slices and serve with lightly whipped sweetened cream, fresh orange segments if using, and an extra drizzle of orange olive oil if desired.

Nutrition

Nutrition

Nutrition Serving Size
1 Serving
per serving
Calories
442
Amount/Serving % Daily Value
Fat
26.3 grams
41%
Saturated Fat
3.9 grams
19%
Trans Fat
0 grams
Cholesterol
70.5 milligrams
24%
Sodium
239.5 milligrams
10%
Carbs
46.6 grams
16%
Fiber
1.6 grams
6%
Sugar
27 grams
Protein
6.6 grams
13%

13 reviews & comments

  • Author's avatar image
    The Giadzy Kitchen

    @Susanna thanks for the feedback! Our best guess is that is could have something to do with the emulsifying of the oil. Be sure to add the oil very slowly while mixing so that it fully emulsifies with the rest of the batter. If the next time you bake it, the middle still seems not fully cooked when you insert a toothpick, you can always put it back in the oven for another 5-10 more minutes!

  • Author's avatar image
    Susanna

    I am the third person in my family to make this cake following the recipe exactly and all three of us have had the cake sink in the middle. I used a wet cake strip around the outer rim of the 8 inch pan to keep the outside from cooking too soon before the inside, and the cake still sank.. there must be something wrong with the amount of leavening used in this cake. It’s a delicious cake and worth tinkering with the recipe to see if I can get the cake to bake properly. My dad has been baking for probably 40 years and he was unable to get the cake to bake evenly.

  • Author's avatar image
    Claire

    Recipe calls for an 8in pan placed on a pan with sides in case of overflow. Now I know why – I used my mothers original 8 in cake pan – it filled the pan to the top with some left over. I took out some batter. It DID overflow the edges making it almost impossible to get out. I’m a baker – this has never happened before. I reviewed earlier videos of her making the cake – you never see it coming out of the pan. Other olive oil cake recipes call for a 9 in spring foam pan. If I make it again I definitely will do that. It will be a thinner, but pretty slice.

  • Author's avatar image
    The Giadzy Kitchen

    @Janice Miller—Either pan should work as long as it an 8-inch cake pan! Hope this helps!

  • Author's avatar image
    janice miller

    How tall should be the sides on the 8" cake pan? I have 2 sizes available, one is 1 1/2" and the other 3"

  • Author's avatar image
    Sara

    Simply wow! What a wonderful recipe. The cake is perfectly moist and balanced in sweetness. Everyone loved it

  • Author's avatar image
    Kathi

    Pretty disappointed because made the cake twice before a Christmas party and both times it sank. The taste was great because we ate it afterwards but the first time it sank I thought I did something wrong. Then my daughter made it and it sank again. :(. I see that it sank for someone else here too. Would love to know how to address this because I could not put it out because it looked so bad.

  • Author's avatar image
    Kathryn M

    Due to allergies, is there a substitute for the whole milk?

  • Author's avatar image
    The Giadzy Kitchen

    @Laura Hi there! Thanks so much for your feedback. We have added in extra instructions to specify the timing.

  • Author's avatar image
    Cait

    I love this cake so much! I’ve made it at least three times, but I always have a hard time getting it to cook all the way through without it getting overcooked on the edges. At 40 minutes it’s still not done, but edges are very brown. The middle is always a little raw. Maybe I need to put foil on it towards the end. I’ve also wondered if it would be easier in a bundt or tube style pan. I will keep experimenting because it’s such a delicious cake!

  • Author's avatar image
    Laura

    This cake was very tasty, but the recipe itself needs work. For example, it doesn’t specify the mixer speed at which to beat the ingredients. Another olive cake recipe I like requires beating on high but for only 30 seconds. So, I wasn’t sure what to do for the full 5 minutes suggested in this one. Also, I was hesitant to put toasted almonds on top of the cake, for risk of them getting burned during baking. I used raw almonds on top successfully. My cake took 35 minutes but sunk in the middle during cooling, perhaps because I didn’t get the mixing just right. But it was cooked through and had great flavor.

  • Author's avatar image
    Lee

    OMG! This is fantastic! It has such a lovely orange flavor and is not sugary either. Even my picky eater loved it. I took the leftovers to the office, it completely disappeared after lunch. Everyone loved it.

    This recipe is simple to follow and I made it exactly as stated in the recipe. The only thing that I did differently was the cooking time. The recipe says 30 to 35 minutes, but for me, it was closer to 55 minutes. Not sure why such a difference in cook time. But sometimes these things happen. It still turned out perfect. Will definitely be making this again.

  • Author's avatar image
    Kate

    This looks absolutely amazing! What can I use as an egg substitute in this? Applesauce?

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