This Citrus Olive Oil Cake Is Your New Weekend Baking Tradition

When craving something sweet, I don’t want cookies, candy, or ice cream, I always reach for a moist cake. What I love about this citrus olive oil cake with poppy seeds is that it is really really bright and vibrant thanks to the citrus flavors. For this recipe, I zest two lemons and one orange and mix together with the sugar, then I massage it with my hands to release all of the essential oils to further enhance the citrus notes. Another thing I love about this cake is the addition of buttermilk which adds a beautiful tanginess. Its acidity helps to tenderize the gluten resulting in an airier and softer cake overall. Then there is the olive oil which really helps to deliver that moistness while also enriching the flavor. The citrus fused with the olive oil counterbalance each other in a beautifully delicious way. Watch Athena in the video below to see how you can make this simple citrus olive oil cake at home, then keep scrolling for the ingredients and method.

Citrus-Poppy Olive Oil Loaf

Athena Calderone

Ingredients

CAKE

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• Zest from 2 lemons

• Zest from 1 orange

• 1¼ cups granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• ¾ cup olive oil

• ½ cup buttermilk (yogurt or coconut milk great alternatives)

• ¼ cup Vin Santo

• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

GLAZE

• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar

• Juice from on lemon

• Juice from 1/2 orange

• Zest from on orange

Method

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a loaf pan with nonstick spray and line with a parchment paper

• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

• Zest orange and lemon and combine with granulated sugar in a large bowl, massage zest with citrus to release essential oils. Add eggs and whisk to blend. Whisk in oil, milk, and Madeira. Whisk in dry ingredients until batter is smooth. Scrape into prepared pan; smooth top.

• Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 minutes.

• Whisk confectioners sugar and citrus juices until smooth. Add orange zest

• Let cake cool on a wire rack. Once cake is slightly cooled drizzle glaze over cake.