Orange Olive Oil Cake With Orange Glaze

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two standard loaf pans (9 x 13 inch pans) with cooking spray. (See my notes below regarding other sized pans.) Add some flour to dust and coat the pans. Empty any excess. In a medium bowl whisk together 2 1/2 cups of flour and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On low speed with the mixer running, add oil slowly until well combined. Next, add the orange juice, zest, and vanilla extract and keep whisking slowly until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and whisk just until combined. Don’t over mix or the cake will be dense.
3. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes until cooked through. Always use the toothpick test to see if the cake is cooked. Insert your toothpick into the center of the loaves and if they come out clean, your cake is ready. If there is batter on the toothpick, let it bake for a few more minutes. Place the cooked cake on a wire rack to cool about 10 minutes.
4. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake from the pan. Remove the loaves and put on the wire rack to cool completely.
5. Mix the confectioner’s sugar and fresh OJ in a small bowl until a nice thick glaze forms. Drizzle this over the tops of the loaves and let set. Slice and enjoy.
6. You can freeze the cooled cakes if you like. I’d freeze the cake WITHOUT the glaze. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. Before eating, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then glaze before serving. Have one now and save one for later. Better yet, gift the second one to friends, family or neighbors. Enjoy.

NOTES:  If you love oranges, you are going to love this cake.  I was lucky enough to receive a box of fresh navel oranges from a client in Washington State who owns an Orange Orchard so my fruit was so juicy and so delicious!  It took about five oranges to get the 1 1/4 cups of juice for the cake.  If using store bought oranges, and depending on how large or fresh they are, you may need 6 of more to get the juice.

To really up that orange flavor, I used orange flavored olive oil but regular olive oil will work just fine in this recipe.

While this recipe will make two loaves of cake, I often make smaller loaves as gifts for friends and neighbors.  You can get those cute little tin foil pans at the supermarket. (They now come with lids which make them perfect for gift giving.)  This batter will make one regular sized loaf and three mini loafs or six mini loafs.  The cooking time is obviously less on the smaller cakes.  They should take about 30-35 minutes.  Be sure to test with a toothpick.

The glaze can be as thin or thick as you like…just adjust the amount of sugar and OJ ratios to get the consistency you like.  This is the cake you bring to a tea party (do they still have those?) or give as a house warming gift.  It is the perfect treat with morning coffee or tea.  Give it a try.  Looking for other delicious dessert recipes?  Check out my dessert page for inspiration.