Orange and Olive Oil Carrot Cake
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You really need to try it for yourself to understand how moist and full of flavor is this Orange and Olive Oil Carrot Cake recipe. It’s super soft and tender and the combination of cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg make it so warm and cozy. Two unexpected ingredients, orange and olive oil, elevate this cake to a new dimension! Have a bite and it will transport you to a riviera on the Adriatic sea, eating cake and sipping coffee during the afternoon like it’s your only job.
I sometimes don’t trust my obsession of experimenting with new flavor combinations. It can be bad news to people around me because they will have to eat whatever I decided to put together, no matter what that was. But sometimes, and happy to say it’s most of the times, I’ll make a flavor combination that just works perfectly. I would just want to repeat it in every dish. This combination of orange and olive oil in this carrot cake is one of those!
You know I come up with a new version of carrot cake to every year because is Mariana’s favorite and this cake was to celebrate her birthday. Even if she’s up in Heaven, we always celebrate the day her journey began and how we started a new chapter in the story of our family. These flavors felt like the perfect match for this year. The orange and olive oil make this carrot cake taste subtly different but oh-so-very-delicious. The acidity of the orange makes a heavenly contrast with the sweetness of the carrots. The olive oil brings up a lovely floral note that make this cake light and fragrant.
I whipped up my super creamy cream cheese frosting and used a bit of orange juice instead of the traditional lemon juice for more orange flavor. If you haven't tried this frosting, get ready because you will want to smear it on everything!
Now let me leave you my notes on how to make this velvety and delicious carrot cake super moist and soft:
How to make this super moist Carrot Cake
The first thing you should do is rubbing the orange zest with the sugars, this way they will absorb properly the orange zest’s oils while you prepare everything you need for your cake.
I love using buttermilk in this recipe because it will make the cake even tangier. If you don’t have any around, use regular milk or pure canned coconut milk. Whatever liquid you use, mix that with the orange juice.
Next, mix up the all purpose flour, spices, baking powder and salt with a hand whisk to break large lumps.
This next step is key! You’ll mix the eggs with the sugar mixture to incorporate air and help the cake rise. Mix until pale and foamy according to the recipe below.
Given that we already have so many flavors going on, adding vanilla is not necessarily but I always like adding some, keeping on with those floral notes of the olive oil and orange.
Once the batter is ready, incorporate the carrots by hand to prevent over mixing the cake. You’ll also add by hand the pistachios and any other addition you want like raisins or shredded coconut.
I used pistachios here but you may use walnuts or pecans as well. To make the nuts even nuttier, toast them in a 325° oven for 7 to 8 minutes, until fragrant. Keep an eye on them to preventing burning or you will end up with very bitter notes.
After the cake is done, place it in the fridge for about 20 minutes to cool them down faster. They need to be completely cooled down so the frosting doesn't melt when being spread.
My super creamy cream cheese frosting can be made a couple of days ahead, which is pretty convenient! Read the original Creamiest Cream Cheese Frosting post for many tips and ideas when making this frosting.
When ready, frost the cake and decorate it simply by making swirls through the surface of the frosting. Garnish with finely chopped pistachios and some orange zest for a pop of color!
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You’ll need 3-6” cake pans or 2-8” cake pans.
A long serrated knife to even out the cake tops.
Pre-cut parchment paper for easy cleaning.
3 recipes I think you’ll love if you’re loving this one:
Super Moist Lemon Blueberry Cake
Soft and Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
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I know you’ll find love at first bite with this cake! Can’t wait to hear how much you love it! Drop in the comments any thoughts or questions. And don’t forget to take a pic and share it with me at Instagram (@devamadeo), TikTok (@DevAmadeo) or Facebook (@DevAmadeo)! Happy baking!
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Orange and Olive Oil Carrot Cake
Ingredients
◯ Natural granulated sugar – 1 cup, 210g
◯ Brown sugar (you may use light brown as well) - ½ cup, 100g
◯ Orange zest (preferably from navel oranges for a sweeter taste) - zest from 1 large orange, about 2 packed TBSP
◯ Buttermilk - 1 ¼ cup, 297g
◯ Orange juice - 2 TBSP, 29g
◯ Unbleached all-purpose flour – 2 cups, 280g
◯ Ground cinnamon - 1 ½ Tsp, 3g
◯ Ground ginger - 1 Tsp, 2g
◯ Ground nutmeg - a good pinch to ¼ Tsp
◯ All-spice - a good pinch to ¼ Tsp
◯ Baking powder – 1 Tsp, 5g
◯ Fine sea salt – ½ Tsp, 3g
◯ Large eggs, at room temperature – 3
◯ Vanilla extract – 1 Tsp, 4g
◯ Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1 cup, 212g
◯ Carrots, medium shredded – 2 cups, 295g
◯ Pistachios – 1 cup, 150g, roughly chopped
◯ Crushed pistachios and fine orange zest if desired to decorate
Cream Cheese Frosting
(Check the original post of Extra Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting for many tips when making this.)
◯ Butter (salted or unsalted), a bit softened - 8 TBSP, 113g (1 stick, ½ cup)
◯ Confectioner’s sugar - 3 cups, 384g
◯ Fresh orange juice - 2 TBSP, 29g
◯ Cream cheese (in bricks, not whipped, and still chilled) - 12 oz., 339g (1 ½ box)
Details
Yield:
A 3 tier 6” cake or a 2 tier 8” cake
Total time:
2 hours
Active time: 20 minutes to make the batter, 10 minutes to make the frosting
Baking time:
20 - 25 minutes
Equipment:
cake pans, stand mixer or electric hand mixer, serrated knife
Steps
Making the cake:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease three 6” or two 8” cake pans with plenty of butter or line them with parchment paper.
In a bowl combine the 1 cup/210g of natural granulated sugar with the ½ cup/100g of brown sugar. Add the approximate 2 tablespoons of orange zest and rub them together for 1 minutes. Let it rest.
Mix the 1 ¼ cup/297g of buttermilk with the 2 tablespoons/29g of orange juice.
Mix the 2 cups/264g of flour, the 1 ½ teaspoon/3g of cinnamon, the teaspoon/2g of ginger, the pinches of nutmeg and all-spice, the teaspoon/5g of baking powder and the ½ teaspoon/3g of salt.
Place the 3 eggs, the sugar-orange zest mixture and the teaspoon/4g of vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (if using a hand electric mixer, use the beaters). Beat in high speed (level #8 in the Kitchen Aid) for 5 minutes (about 7 minutes if using an electric hand mixer).
With the mixer running, start drizzling slowly the 1 cup/212g of olive oil in a thin stream. Mix for 2 minutes. Decrease speed to the lowest (level #1 in the Kitchen Aid) and add the buttermilk-orange juice mixture. Gradually add the flour mixture just until thin streaks of flour remains. Remove bowl from mixer and with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon gently mix the 2 cups/295g of shredded carrots and the cup/150g of the chopped pistachios, making sure there are not visible streaks of flour when you finish mixing.
Pour batter evenly into your cake pans. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes if using 6” cake pans or 20 to 25 minutes if using 8” cake pans, or until a toothpick comes out clean after you insert it through the center. Let the cakes cool down completely. You may wrap them in cling paper and place them in the fridge for about at least 20 minutes to an hour to cool down before frosting.
With a serrated knife, even out the top of the cakes. Place four pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil forming a square on a serving plate or cake stand. Place one cake and cover with a thick layer of the cream cheese frosting. Place the second cake upside down and frost. Place the third cake and frost again. From the top, start spreading the frosting around the cake in a thin layer. If possible, place in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to set that first frosting layer. Take out and spread a thick frosting layer on the sides of the cake. Use a spoon to make swirls as decorations.
Sprinkle finely chopped pistachios and/or fine orange zest to decorate.
Cake will be good for a few days. Store in the fridge covered as much as possible.
Making the Creamiest Cream Cheese Frosting:
With a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or with an electric hand mixer using the beaters, beat the 8 tablespoons/113g of butter in medium speed (#4 in the Kitchen Aid) until loose and fluffy.
Place a large sieve over the bowl and sift the 3 cups/384g of confectioner’s sugar over, or sift it on a separate bowl and add it into the butter. Mixture will become sandy.
Add the 2 tablespoons/29g of orange juice and mix to combine.
Smear the 12 ounces/339g of cream cheese into the butter mixture as much as you can, then beat it until well incorporated. You would still see lumps of cream cheese.
Scrape the beaters, walls and bottom of the bowl to reincorporate any pieces of cream cheese.
Change to the whisk attachment and beat still in medium speed (bring it down to speed #2 in using a stand mixer) until very creamy and silky, without any lumps of cream cheese. Stop and scrape the walls of the bowl one or two times in between to make sure cream cheese is incorporating well.
Chill for 30 minutes before frosting the cake.
You can make this cream cheese frosting a few days ahead, just let it out of the fridge for 5 or 10 minutes before working with it.
