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Vegan Orange Cake with Olive Oil

Vegan Orange Cake topped with powdered sugar and orange slices with slice cut out of it

4.9 from 17 reviews

This Vegan Orange Cake with Olive Oil is tender, buttery, and packed with orange flavor! It’s the perfect vegan snacking cake to enjoy during citrus season.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups (194 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
  • 1/2 cup (102 g) cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice, strained*
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest (about 1 orange)

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 8 or 9” springform pan and set aside.
  2. Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Wet Ingredients: In a smaller bowl, whisk the non-dairy milk, oil, orange juice, sugar, applesauce, vanilla, almond, and orange zest together, until the oil is emulsified. 
  4. Combine: Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients while whisking the two together. Mix well until no dry patches of flour remain, but be careful not to overmix; some small lumps are ok. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. 
  5. Bake: Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 32 minutes for a 9” pan, longer for a smaller pan. The cake is done when the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly.
  6. Cool & Serve: Place the cake pan on a cooling rack and let the cake cool completely in the pan. Remove the cake and transfer to a serving platter, then dust with powdered sugar, slice, and serve. Store any leftovers at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Notes

  • Orange Juice: I recommend straining any extra pulp out of the orange juice as it weighs the cake down a bit too much. I juiced about 1 1/2 navel oranges to get 1/4 cup of fresh juice, but you could buy unpasteurized juice from the store as well.
  • Gluten-Free: I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but imagine it would work with an all-purpose blend.
  • Olive Oil: I like the subtle floral flavor the olive oil adds to this cake, but you could also use melted vegan butter or another neutral oil instead.

Keywords: vegan orange cake, vegan orange olive oil cake