Candied Orange Olive Oil Cake (Printable)

Moist cake blending candied oranges, olive oil, and almond flour for a flavorful finish.

# What You Need:

→ Candied Oranges

01 - 2 medium oranges, thinly sliced
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 cup water

→ Cake Batter

04 - 2 cups almond flour
05 - 1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
06 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
12 - Zest of 1 orange
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ For Serving

14 - Powdered sugar for dusting
15 - Fresh mint leaves

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add orange slices in a single layer and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until translucent. Remove from syrup and cool on a parchment-lined tray.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
03 - Arrange cooled candied orange slices on the bottom of the prepared pan, overlapping slightly if needed.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt.
05 - In another bowl, beat eggs and 3/4 cup sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Whisk in olive oil, Greek yogurt, orange zest, and vanilla extract until smooth.
06 - Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.
07 - Pour batter over the candied oranges and smooth the top evenly.
08 - Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate and peel off parchment paper.
09 - Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with mint leaves if desired. Serve at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cake stays moist for days thanks to olive oil and Greek yogurt, so you can actually make it ahead without it turning to sawdust.
  • It's naturally gluten-free but tastes nothing like typical gluten-free baking—nobody will guess unless you tell them.
  • Those candied oranges feel fancy and homemade, but honestly, the syruping process is just gentle simmering while you read or think.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the candied oranges before arranging them in the pan—they'll slide around in warm syrup and your beautiful pattern will be ruined.
  • Room-temperature eggs genuinely matter here; cold eggs won't whip up properly and you'll lose the lift that keeps this cake light instead of dense.
03 -
  • Make extra candied oranges and store them in their syrup in a jar—they're stunning on cakes, in cocktails, or just eaten straight as a little sweet moment.
  • If you want a color variation without changing the flavor, blood oranges create a stunning sunset-orange appearance that looks even more luxurious than regular oranges.
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