Fresh citrus flavour permeates this tender olive oil cake. This cake is simple (no mixer needed). I used blood orange, but you can use lemon, orange, or any fresh citrus fruit (see recipe variations above).
Cake – 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour – 2 teaspoons baking powder – ¼ teaspoon salt – 2 teaspoons citrus zest (I used 2 blood oranges here) – ¼ cup fresh citrus juice – 1 cup sugar (I used organic cane sugar) – ¾ cup plain whole-milk yogurt – 3 egg – ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract – ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil Glaze (optional, see other ideas above recipe) – ⅓ cup powdered sugar (here’s how to make your own) – 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh citrus juice
Heat the oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8x4 loaf pan by buttering and flouring it. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Transfer sugar to another medium mixing bowl. Grate 2 teaspoons of fresh citrus zest into the bowl using a Microplane. Rub the zest into the sugar to give it a citrus scent and colour
In a liquid measuring cup, combine ¾ cup yoghurt and ¼ cup citrus juice for 1 cup total liquid. Whisk yoghurt, juice, eggs, and vanilla into sugar mixture until well blended
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Fold the oil with a spatula until fully incorporated. Shiny batter. Smooth the top of the batter in the loaf pan.
Cake should be golden and pull away from pan after 50–55 minutes. Central toothpicks should be clean. After 10 minutes of cooling, loosen the cake-pan sides with a knife.
To unmold the cake, carefully turn the loaf pan upside down on a large plate. Let the cake cool to room temperature after carefully flipping it.
A small bowl of powdered sugar can glaze. Make a thick glaze that drips off your whisk with blood orange juice. Cover cake with glaze. Slice and serve glaze after 15 minutes.