whi-citrus-olive-oil-cake-recipe

The Perfect Holiday Treat

This delicious cake is a versatile holiday treat. It can be simply topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or dressed up with yogurt or frosting. Decorate it with fresh berries or sliced citrus. Double the recipe to make a two-layer cake, if desired.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yields: 1 cake

Download Recipe
Recipe courtesy of
  • Lisa Markley Director of Culinary Medicine | AdventHealth Whole Health Institute

Recipe Ingredients

  • 2 cups firmly packed almond meal or almond flour, plus extra for dusting the pan
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 eggs
  • 2/3 cup maple syrup or honey
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons grated orange zest (from 1 orange, preferably organic)
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • Optional: 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar for sifting
  • Optional: 1 cups vanilla Skyr or Greek yogurt or frosting
  • Optional: 1 cups berries, rinsed and dried or peeled and sliced orange rounds

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 9″ springform pan*and dust it with almond meal to prevent sticking.
  2. To make the cake: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the almond meal, the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to blend.
  3. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and beat with a whisk until the yolks and egg white shave blended together. Add the maple syrup, olive oil, orange zest, and almond extract and whisk to blend. Pour the wet ingredients into the almond meal mixture and stir until there are just a few clumps remaining.
  4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan (it will be slightly runny). Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and the center is firm to the touch.
  5. Meanwhile, to make the topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, orange juice and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup until blended.
  6. Once the cake is out of the oven, place the cake, pan and all, on a cooling rack.
  7. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes. Carefully remove the outer piece from your spring form pan.
  8. Once cooled and when ready to serve, spread yogurt, frosting, or powdered sugar evenly over the top, then decorate with the berries. Sprinkle with some additional orange zest, then slice the cake with a sharp knife and serve. Note: if using yogurt, you may want to simply top with a dollop of each individual piece if not it won’t be consumed right away.
  9. Store any remaining cake in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.

Category Tags

Sweets
Lisa Markley, MS, RDN, LD

About the Recipe Author

Lisa Markley, MS, RDN, LD, is an integrative dietitian culinary nutrition expert with nearly two decades of experience working towards improving the health of others. She is passionate about educating others how to harness the healing power of food and healthful lifestyle changes.

Learn More