Orange Olive Oil Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This orange olive oil cake is a delightful mouthful. Topped with a cream cheese frosting swirled with salted caramel and fresh oranges.

The inspiration for this cake hails from the crepe suzettes I made in pastry school. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about fruit in a variety of desserts, so when I first learned what crepe suzette was, I was pretty confident Madam Suzette wouldn’t be for me.

If you don’t know, crepe suzette is made up of crepes (say WHAT?!) dipped in an orange caramel and then plated with orange slices. Let me tell you, my confidence was incorrect.

The blend of sweet and citrus between folds of yummy crepes – flavor perfection. Just like this cake.

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ORANGE OLIVE OIL CAKE

A single-layer cake that perfectly blends sharp citrus flavors with the sweet tang of cream cheese frosting. Oh, and it’s topped with homemade salted caramel.

This cake is a showstopper.

INGREDIENTS

• All-purpose flour: builds the cake’s structure and crumb.
• Baking powder: helps the cake rise evenly.
• Baking soda: boosts lift and browning when combined with acidic ingredients.
• Salt: sharpens flavor and balances sweetness.
• Dark brown sugar: adds moisture, softness, and deeper caramel notes.
• Orange zest: infuses bright, aromatic citrus flavor throughout the cake.
• Eggs: bind the batter and add richness and lift.
• Olive oil: keeps the cake exceptionally moist with a subtle fruity depth.
• Fresh orange juice: provides acidity and fresh citrus flavor.
• Buttermilk: tenderizes the crumb and enhances moisture.
• Vanilla extract: rounds out and enhances overall flavor.
• Granulated sugar: creates a sweet syrup for the cake and acts as the base for the caramel
• Cream cheese: creates a tangy, rich base for the frosting.
• Salted butter: adds structure, richness, and a lightly salted balance.
• Milk: loosens the frosting to a smooth, spreadable consistency.
• Powdered sugar: sweetens and thickens the frosting
• Heavy cream: thins the melted sugar into a creamy caramel sauce.
• Butter: adds silkiness and richness to the caramel.
• Sea salt: balances sweetness and enhances the caramel flavor.

HOW TO MAKE ORANGE OLIVE OIL CAKE

Start by making your caramel. Pour the sugar into an even layer in a medium pot, set over medium-low heat, and stir every 20–30 seconds as it slowly melts and changes color.

Once fully melted, remove it from the heat, whisk in the butter, then carefully stream in the heavy cream and salt before letting it cool to room temperature so it doesn’t melt the frosting.

Preheat the oven to 350°F, grease and line a 9-inch round pan.

For the orange olive oil cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, rub the orange zest into the brown sugar, whisk in the eggs, then add the olive oil, orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth.

Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs.

While it bakes, make your simple syrup by combining the orange juice and sugar in a small pot. Place on the stove and heat until dissolved, then lightly simmer until slightly thickened before cooling.

Let the baked cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, invert onto a rack, and brush the warm cake (top and sides) with all the syrup before cooling completely.

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar, mix until incorporated, then blend in the vanilla and milk.

Spread all the cream cheese frosting over the cooled cake and smooth the top. Drizzle caramel over the frosting, swirl it in, and reserve extra caramel for serving before topping with fresh or dehydrated oranges if desired.

3 reasons you’ll love this cake

MAKING AHEAD & STORING

The salted caramel can be made in advance. Store your caramel in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to three months.

The caramel will thicken as it cools, so allow it to come to room temperature before using. You can also place it in a heat-safe jar or bowl and microwave for a few seconds at a time, stirring in between, until it’s loosened enough to pour (but not melt your frosting).

Once assembled, your orange olive oil cake with cream cheese frosting needs to be stored in the fridge. It will keep for up to 5 days.

MORE SINGLE-LAYER CAKE RECIPES

• Cinnamon Olive Oil Cake with Salted Vanilla Glaze
• Easy Coconut Texas Sheet Cake
• Oreo Cake with Oreo Buttercream
• Best Lime Olive Oil Cake

Orange Olive Oil Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 10 slices

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

This moist and flavorful orange olive oil cake is topped with cream cheese frosting and pools of salted caramel. A showstopper for any occasion, it perfectly combines sweet, sharp, and salty flavors.

Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• Knife
• Parchment Paper
• 9-inch springform pan (circle)
• Whisk
• Microplane
• Bowls
• Juicer
• Spatula
• Mixer (hand or standing)
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Digital Scale
• Fine Mesh Sieve
• Pots

Ingredients

CAKE

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 ½ tbsp orange zest approx. 5-6 oranges
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup fresh orange juice 1-2 oranges
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

SIMPLE SYRUP

• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 2 tbsp sugar

FROSTING

• 3 oz. cream cheese room temperature
• 6 tbsp salted butter room temperature
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tbsp milk
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar

SALTED CARAMEL

• ½ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup heavy cream room temperature
• 2 tbsp butter small cubes (slightly softened)
• ¼ tsp sea salt

Instructions

CARAMEL

• Pour your sugar into an even layer along the bottom of a medium-sized pot and place it over medium-low heat on the stove
• Stir every 20-30 seconds with a spoon – it will look like nothing is happening at first. As the sugar slowly melts, it will get a little clumped, and you’ll notice the color slowly change. Once the sugar is completely melted, immediately remove it from the heat
• Add your butter to your pot and whisk in
• Carefully stream your room temperature heavy cream into your pot and stir before mixing in your sea salt
• Set aside to cool at room temperature before assembly – can be lightly warm, but no hotter, or it will melt the frosting

CAKE

• Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and line a 9-inch round pan with parchment paper
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside
• In a separate large bowl, add your dark brown sugar and orange zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers to release the oils, until fragrant (about a minute)
• Crack in your eggs and whisk for 1 minute until the mixture pales in color. Pour in your olive oil, orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth
• Sift in your dry ingredients, mixing until just combined
• Pour your cake batter into your greased and lined pan
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few moist crumbs
• While your cake is baking, prep your simple syrup. In a small pot, combine your orange juice and sugar. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, or until lightly reduced. You’re not looking for thick syrup, but just lightly thickened to evaporate some water. Remove the pot from the heat, pour into a bowl, and allow the mixture to cool slightly
• Remove your cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and while still warm, use a pastry brush to brush all of the syrup on the cake (top and sides!)
• Cool completely before assembling

FROSTING

• Add your room temperature cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl and beat for a minute until smooth
• Sift in your powdered sugar and carefully beat until all incorporated
• Mix in the vanilla and milk

ASSEMBLY

• Place all of your cream cheese frosting on top of the cooled olive oil cake and smooth out
• Drizzle over some of your caramel and then swirl it in with a spoon or spatula. Save the rest for drizzling over individual slices
• Top with fresh orange segments and, if desired, dehydrated oranges

Notes

*If you don’t have dark brown sugar, substitute it with light brown sugar and add 2 tablespoons of sour cream with your remaining wet ingredients

*For the caramel, the butter and heavy cream shouldn’t be cold. This could cause your sugar to seize when you stir it in!

*If you want to make dehydrated orange slices, I’d highly recommend making these at least a day in advance since they take a while. Preheat your oven to 200°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice one orange into ⅛” – ¼” slices and lay flat on your baking sheet. Bake for 3-4 hours until dry and no longer sticky to the touch

*I adapted this salted caramel recipe from one I received from Chef Ash during my pastry course