This delicious Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake couldn’t be easier to make – it’s so beautiful too! An ideal recipe for brightening up those dark, Winter days.
blood oranges – a vibrant burst of colour for the cold winter months
Even though the blood orange season is just about over for another year, I just couldn’t resist sharing this recipe with you.
I’ve always been a fan of oranges, but blood oranges are really special. Nothing quite compares to slicing one open to reveal the beautiful crimson flesh.
They provide a much-needed burst of vibrant colour during those dark, drab Winter months.
I love making my blood orange curd to make the most of the all too brief season – it’s so delicious spread on toast, scones or pancakes.
Blood oranges are very useful for a simple cake decoration – they are so naturally beautiful that a few slices on top of your cake is all you need for a simple yet stunning design. I use caramelised blood oranges in my baked blood orange cheesecake.
I don’t know many people who don’t love a drizzle cake. My Pink Grapefruit Drizzle Cake always goes down well in the Wintertime, and I was desperate to try a blood orange version. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!
ingredient notes
Please scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
- plain (all-purpose) flour
- baking powder, to make the cake rise
- Sour Cream adds a tanginess to the cake and also gives a soft, fluffy texture. Greek yoghurt can be substituted in a pinch, but it must be full fat.
- Blood Oranges – you’ll need the zest of three oranges for the cake and the juice of two for both the drizzle and icing. The third orange you zested is baker’s treat, or save it and have it with granola for breakfast! You could also use it to decorate the cake, if you like.
- Olive Oil. You don’t need to use the fancy stuff here. A mild (cooking) olive oil is fine. Save the extra virgin oil for salads or dressings.
tips for making this blood orange olive oil cake
This is a really useful cake recipe to have up your sleeve. It’s nice and quick to put together – no need to get your mixer out! A bowl, whisk or fork and a rubber spatula are all you need.
I rub the blood orange zest into the sugar until the sugar is damp from the citrus oils. This is a great way to release maximum flavour from the zest!
If you use a gentle hand to combine the wet and dry ingredients together, you’ll be rewarded with a beautifully light cake.
The orange drizzle is what makes this cake so good! This is made by simmering icing sugar and blood orange juice in a saucepan until you have a beautifulruby red syrup. This just takes a few minutes.
As soon as the cake is baked, pierce it all over with a skewer. Slowly pour over the blood orange syrup, making sure the whole cake gets a good soaking of syrup.
Leave the cake to cool completely (I’m sorry, but if you attempt to cut the cake while it is still warm, it will crumble to pieces!) before adding the icing glaze. You can skip the glaze if you like, but I believe it’s not quite the same without it.
storing
This blood orange loaf cake will keep for 3-4 days. Wrap it well in cling film and tin foil to prevent it from drying out.
can it be frozen?
Yes – this cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap the cake in double layers of cling film or use a large freezer bag. Defrost the cake at room temperature (this will take 3-4 hours) before serving.
I’m sharing this recipe with #CookBlogShare hosted by Easy Peasy Foodie
Blood orange olive oil cake
This quick and easy blood orange olive oil cake is beautifully moist and fluffy. It's the perfect cake to make in the dull, cold Winter months.
Ingredients
- 200g plain (all purpose) flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 230g caster sugar
- Grated zest of three blood oranges
- 125ml sour cream
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 125ml mild olive oil (not extra virgin)
- FOR THE DRIZZLE:
- 100g icing sugar
- Juice of one blood orange
- FOR THE ICING GLAZE:
- 75g icing sugar
- approximately 3 tablespoons blood orange juice (enough to make a thick but pourable icing)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/350F. Butter and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside for a moment.
- Place the sugar and orange zest in a medium sized bowl. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is very aromatic. This is the best way of achieving maximum citrus flavour in your baking!
- Place the sour cream, eggs and vanilla into a medium bowl or jug. Whisk until everything is well blended.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Please take care not to overmix. The batter should be quite thick, smooth and a little shiny.
- Pour the batter into the loaf tin and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until golden and risen. A skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean.
- While the cake is baking, make the syrup. Place the icing sugar and orange juice in a small pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is a syrup like consistency. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- When the cake has baked, transfer to a wire rack and using a skewer, puncture the top of the cake all over. Evenly pour over the orange syrup, then leave the cake to go completely cold.
- To make the icing glaze, simply mix the icing sugar and juice together until smooth. Drizzle over the cake and decorate with blood orange slices, if you like.
Notes
This cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Wrap it in clingfilm and tin foil to prevent it from drying out.
If you are decorating the cake with the blood orange slices, I recommend removing them before storing.
Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. Store in an airtight freezer bag or wrap the cake in double layers of cling film and foil before freezing.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 451Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 248mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 2gSugar: 64gProtein: 3g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.
Blood oranges are my favourite fruit, a pity the season they’re available here is very short. Your cake looks gorgeous. I love citrus-based cakes, and this one is a winner.
Thank you! They are my favourite too. I wish they were available for longer ?
Oh I love cakes like this! So easy to make, but utterly delicious. Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare. Eb x
Thank you Eb ? yes it’s such an easy cake to make, but looks so pretty! Especially with the blood oranges ? x
What an easy recipe Nickki, I love it and the fact that you used some wonderful blood oranges to make it 🙂
Angela x
Thank you Angela ? I’m on a real blood orange kick at the moment, I’ll miss them when they are finished for the season (is it me or are they still around quite late this year? Not that I’m complaining!) ? x
It looks stunning!
Thank you! ?
I love cakes that you don’t need a mixer for (cos I’m lazy af), can’t wait to try this one out! Gorgeous colour too! xo
Me too – the easier the better!? Thank you! x
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