It’s time for an absolutely delicious and seasonal Vegan Olive Oil Cake with freshly squeezed Cara Cara orange juice, orange blossom water, and ripe juicy figs. If you’ve never baked an olive oil cake at home, then you have truly been missing out on the easiest cake recipe out there! This cake is so moist, perfectly tender, and most importantly- absolutely delicious! I can’t wait for you to bake this drool-worthy Vegan Orange Blossom & Fig Olive Oil Cake for all your Holiday Celebrations.
How to Make a Vegan Orange Blossom & Fig Olive Oil Cake
My favorite part about making olive oil cakes is that you can make them in ONE BOWL with minimal tools! No creaming butter and sugar and NO standing mixer needed. This recipe was adapted from my Vegan Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake and Vegan Blood Orange Chocolate Olive Oil Cake which are two of the most popular recipes on SGTO!
A Cake With Only One Bowl Needed? Yes Please!
First, mix all the wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. This includes the olive oil, plant-based milk, orange blossom water, freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest, and sugar. Use a whisk or fork to blend everything together.
Next, mix in the dry ingredients including the pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until a thick batter forms, then pour into your baking pan! Also, it’s worth noting that it’s super important to use pastry/cake flour over all-purpose flour in this recipe to get the right texture.
All You Need is an Oven & A Springform Pan To Bake This Cake!
I love using my 9-inch springform pan because it makes releasing the cake after baking SO easy. If all you have is a normal cake pan, that’s okay! Lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper is also recommended for easy cake removal.
P.S- did you know you can also turn this recipe into cupcakes? Just follow the baking instructions in my Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Cupcakes for baking time and other cupcake making tips! If you do stick to making this as a cake, bake for 48-55 minutes, and then whip up some glaze to pour over the cake! Then, top with fresh figs and pomegranate for a festive fall cake!
What is Orange Blossom Water?
Orange Blossom Water is traditionally used in many middle eastern dishes and you may have even had it in baklava before. For this recipe, I used Nielsen-Massey Orange Blossom Water which is consists of water distilled from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree. It has a sweet, yet slightly bitter taste, similar to the taste of an orange peel. Though it doesn’t taste great on its own, when mixed with sugar and baked into a cake, it adds a WONDERFUL flavor!
You only need 2 tsp of orange blossom water to get the flavor throughout the entire cake in this recipe. Less is more when it comes to orange blossom water!
What is the Best Olive Oil for Olive Oil Cakes?
For all of my Olive Oil recipes on SGTO I use extra virgin olive oil and I don’t skimp on a cheaper alternative. Extra- virgin olive oil is 100% cold-pressed olive oil, has a really great flavor, and usually is the highest quality.
To sum it up- the olive oil you put into your cake will directly affect the flavor of the cake that comes out. There’s no “right” olive oil, but make sure you like the flavor of the olive oil you are using raw and that it is not too bitter as that flavor will come through.
Here’s a great guide from Serious Eats to find the perfect olive oil.
What Orange Variety Should I Use in Olive Oil Cake?
Cara Cara oranges are my favorite orange variety to use in this recipe. They are in peak season between December and April and happen to be sweeter than other varieties. Their sweetness really helps to balance out the bitter flavor of the orange blossom water as well. Other orange varieties such as navel oranges, tangerines, or even blood oranges will work in this recipe (though expect a change in the cake color and sweetness level).
Whatever you do, just use fresh-squeezed juice directly from citrus fruit! I prefer to strain the juice so that the flesh of the orange doesn’t go into the batter. This also goes for the glaze- which is just a mixture of cara cara orange juice and powdered sugar.
The Perfect Fall Olive Oil Cake
In conclusion, this Vegan Orange Blossom and Fig Olive Oil Cake is truly the BEST cake to bake this Fall! I know I already have plans to make this cake the star of our Vegan Thanksgiving dessert options as it’s a STUNNER. Enjoy!
-TSG
You know you want to bake more this Holiday season, so check out these other Fall favorites:
Gingerbread Scones with Cranberry Glaze
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A delicious and moist orange blossom olive oil cake topped with cara cara orange glaze, pomegranate seeds, and fresh juicy figs. The perfect cake to bake for Fall!
Ingredients
Orange Blossom Cake
- 3/4 cup almond milk (*or other milk alternative)
- 3/4 cup organic sugar
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup cara cara orange juice (*strained so no flesh/pulp- other orange varieties also work)
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 2 tsp orange blossom water
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste/extract
- 2 cups cake/pastry flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Glaze & Toppings
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp cara cara orange juice (*other orange varieties work)
- 1 cup fresh figs (*halved/quartered)
- 1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8 or 9-inch springform pan and set aside. If you do not have a springform pan, line a 9-inch pan with parchment paper on the bottom for easier removal.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together your almond milk, sugar, olive oil, orange juice, orange zest, orange blossom water, and vanilla bean paste/extract. Then, add the pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the large mixing bowl. Mix until a smooth cake batter is formed.
- Pour the batter into the greased springform pan. Before putting the pan into the oven, tap the cake pan on the counter to release any large bubbles. Add to the oven and bake for 48 minutes-55 minutes until the cake is browned on top cooked throughout.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
- While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by adding the powdered sugar and orange juice to a small bowl and whisking until a thick smooth glaze forms. For a thinner glaze, add additional orange juice or even a little almond milk.
- Apply the glaze once the cake has reached room temperature so that it does not melt. Then, top with the fresh figs and pomegranate seeds. Slice into 8 even pieces and enjoy!
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