Orange-Walnut Olive Oil Cake

Serves 12

This orange-walnut olive oil snacking cake is the perfect treat for any time of day. Not too sweet, it's even nourishing enough to slice and enjoy for breakfast!

By Camille Styles
Prep

30 minutes

Cook

45 minutes


Ingredients

  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
  • 1 cup toasted walnuts
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 2/3 cup honey
  • ½ cup greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • Zest of 1 orange

Candied oranges:

  • 1 cup thinly sliced oranges or clementines
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon orange juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325. Lightly oil sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan or cake pan. Place a parchment circle in bottom of pan and lightly oil parchment. Dust with flour and shake off excess. Set pan aside.
  2. Measure out your cup of flour, then to a food processor, add a couple tablespoons of the flour and the walnuts. Grind to the texture of coarse sand (you don’t want it to become a paste!) Add the rest of the flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse a couple times to mix, then set aside. 
  3. Using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. With a rubber spatula, transfer the whites to a separate bowl.
  4. Put egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
  5. Beat in yogurt, vanilla extract and orange zest, then slowly add the flour mixture at low speed. 
  6. With mixture running on low, add olive oil and beat for a minute or so to combine. Using a rubber spatula, quickly fold in the reserved beaten egg whites in 2 batches. Scrape batter into prepared cake pan, put pan on a baking sheet and place in oven on middle shelf. Bake for 45 - 55 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.
  7. Make glaze: whisk together ingredients. Add a few drops of water if needed, to thin.
  8. Make candied oranges: bring orange slices, water, and sugar to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool on parchment paper.
  9. When the cake is ready, cool in the pan on a rack, then invert onto a cake plate. Top with candied oranges and glaze, slice and eat!