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    Home » Popular » Italian baking

    January 7, 2012 Baking

    Torta agli Agrumi-Citrus Olive Oil Cake

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Torta agli Agrumi-Citrus Olive Oil Cake is one of our favorite Italian cakes!Made with fresh squeezed orange juice, orange zest, and olive oil, this orange and olive oil cake is moist and delicious. Simply perfect for an afternoon coffee or tea break.
    overhead image of torta agli agrumi citrus olive oil cake

    We are spoiled living in Florida by gorgeous, sunny winters and the most beautiful citrus fruits. We eat tangerines and grapefruits every day. You can always find a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast here in our sunny kitchen.
     

    Torta agli Agrumi-Citrus Olive Oil Cake

     

    I buy the most juicy grapefruits at my local produce market for 4 for $1. I can’t get enough of the vibrant flavors and colors. I add the zest to many of my vegetable dishes, like these roasted golden beets with orange and thyme, and even my pasta dishes. And of course, it gets added to many of my cakes. Like this moist and rich Torta agli Agrumi-Citrus Olive Oil Cake. If you love citrus, you would love this Orange Glazed Polenta Cake and also this Lemon Yogurt Cake!
     
     
    overhead image of cake with sugar glaze and citrus fruit

    If you are trying to avoid cholesterol/eggs in your diet…simply sub the eggs with an egg substitute like ener g. I happened to have lemons, oranges, and grapefruits here on hand. You could use whatever citrus fruit you’d like in this cake. The glaze is wonderful even with grapefruit juice.

    overhead image of cake with glaze and citrus fruit on wooden board

     

    Torta agli Agrumi-Citrus Olive Oil Cake

    1 1/2 cups unsifted cake flour
    2 tsp. baking powder
    1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
    3 eggs,  room temperature
    1/2 cup sugar
    1/4 cup honey
    zest of 1lemon
    zest of 1grapefruit (I used pink grapefruit)
    zest of 1small orange
    1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
    3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

    the glaze:
    3/4 – 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
    2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

    Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9” inch round baking pan with baking spray.

    In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Add the zest to the flour mixture and mix it into the flour releasing the zest aromas.
     
    overhead image of flour with citrus rind
    Beat the eggs, sugar, on high until eggs thicken (about 5 minutes). On medium-low speed, beat in the vanilla and olive oil scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to incorporate it well.
    overhead image of cake batter in metal bowl
     
    On medium-low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter a 1/2 cup at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula to incorporate all the flour mixture to the batter.
     
    Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. (I always check my cake a little early to see if it’s ready as my oven is fast). Set cake aside to cool for 10 minutes.
     
    Prepare the glaze:
    After cake has cooled for 10 minutes, flip over onto your serving plate. Add the confectioner’s sugar to a medium sized bowl. Stir in the orange juice until it’s smooth. Spoon the glaze over the completely cooled cake.
     
    Thanks for stopping by! Hope you're having a beautiful weekend. :)xo
     
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    Torta agli Agrumi-Citrus Olive Oil Cake

    Torta agli Agrumi-Citrus Olive Oil Cake is one of our favorite Italian cakes!Made with fresh squeezed orange juice, orange zest, and olive oil, this orange and olive oil cake is moist and delicious. Simply perfect for an afternoon coffee or tea break.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: cake, citrus, glaze
    Servings: 1 9-inch cake
    Author: Lora

    Ingredients

    • CAKE
    • 1 1/2 cups unsifted cake flour
    • 2 tsp. baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
    • 3 eggs   room temperature
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/4 cup honey
    • zest of 1lemon
    • zest of 1grapefruit I used pink grapefruit
    • zest of 1small orange
    • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
    • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • GLAZE
    • 3/4 – 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
    • 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9” inch round baking pan with baking spray.
    • In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Add the zest to the flour mixture and mix it into the flour releasing the zest aromas.
    • Beat the eggs, sugar, on high until eggs thicken (about 5 minutes). On medium-low speed, beat in the vanilla and olive oil scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to incorporate it well.
    • On medium-low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter a 1/2 cup at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula to incorporate all the flour mixture to the batter.
    • Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. (I always check my cake a little early to see if it’s ready as my oven is fast). Set cake aside to cool for 10 minutes.
    • Prepare the glaze:
    • After cake has cooled for 10 minutes, flip over onto your serving plate. Add the confectioner’s sugar to a medium sized bowl. Stir in the orange juice until it’s smooth. Spoon the glaze over the completely cooled cake.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!
    « Roasted Golden Beets with Orange and Thyme
    Torta Salata-Mixed Vegetable Galette »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Eliotseats says

      January 07, 2012 at 4:30 pm

      I love baking with olive oil. And, I am jealous of all that fresh citrus you have on hand. What a versatile cake. Love it!

      Reply
    2. Georgie says

      January 07, 2012 at 4:57 pm

      Laura! I love this cake! Gorgeous photo's and the recipe is scrumptious, easy and it looks so moist. I love your blog!

      Reply
    3. Shulie says

      January 07, 2012 at 5:14 pm

      Woot for your Olive Oil Citrus cake and boo to me for not making the deadline. lol OMG love the texture and totally could have a slice for breakfast before our hike!!

      Reply
    4. Soni says

      January 07, 2012 at 5:17 pm

      Beautiful cake!I'm drooling, seriously!Happy Citruslove 🙂

      Reply
    5. Sandra says

      January 07, 2012 at 5:20 pm

      Very flavorful cake, and I love your recipe and mouthwatering photos..Very well done!
      Have a wonderful weekend!!!!

      Reply
    6. Cookin' Canuck says

      January 07, 2012 at 6:05 pm

      This sounds like such a bright and flavorful cake - perfect for the dreary months of winter. We are loving the sweet pink grapefruits at the supermarket right now and this sounds like another great way to use them.

      Reply
    7. Lizzy Do says

      January 07, 2012 at 6:17 pm

      Oh, your cake looks moist and wonderful, Lora! I've never used grapefruit zest in a recipe before...I don't know why, as I adore grapefruit! Fun to join in on the blog hop with you~

      Reply
    8. Roxana GreenGirl {A little bit of everything} says

      January 07, 2012 at 6:18 pm

      The cake looks great Lora! Love citrus cake, and olive oil to keep it moist, mmmm.

      Reply
    9. Kiri W. says

      January 07, 2012 at 6:54 pm

      Wow, this sounds amazing! I love a good olive oil cake, and this one looks perfect. 🙂

      Reply
    10. SweetSugarBelle says

      January 07, 2012 at 9:16 pm

      I have never had an olive oil cake. This looks delicious and really piqued my curiosity!

      Reply
    11. BigFatBaker says

      January 07, 2012 at 9:46 pm

      Gorgeous! I am so jealous of your awesome location 🙁 I lived there for a few years in Coral Springs. I love the olive oil in your cake. I recently discovered how tasty it can be in baked goods. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

      Reply
    12. vanillasugarblog says

      January 07, 2012 at 11:14 pm

      hey lucky girl!
      you won my giveaway for the "sweets on a stick" cookbook!
      congrats.
      email me your address and let's get that book out to you.

      Reply
    13. The Mom Chef says

      January 07, 2012 at 11:28 pm

      Oh, that cake looks amazing. I love all things citrus. I'm usually not jealous of those who live so far away from changing seasons that they don't get to see the gorgeous reds and oranges of fall. In this case, having just spent 99 cents for a grapefruit; I'm WAY jealous.

      Reply
    14. sue @ cakeballs, cookies and more says

      January 07, 2012 at 11:29 pm

      OH that looks great, I would love some right now:)

      Reply
    15. Sudha says

      January 07, 2012 at 11:39 pm

      Lora, the cake looks awesome and olive oil in a cake is so new to me:)Love the concept so much!That's a lovely blog hop...will try to join in if I can rustle up something citrusy:)

      Reply
    16. Baking Addict says

      January 08, 2012 at 12:28 am

      I love olive oil cakes. I made one with apples and it was amazing. Must try a citrus version. Your pics look great especially with the glaze dripping down... I wish I could have a slice 🙂

      Reply
    17. Anonymous says

      January 08, 2012 at 1:20 am

      I'm here in Florida too and always looking for fresh ideas for all the citrus!! This is a gorgeous cake, love the use of olive oil and the dripping glaze!

      Reply
    18. Smart Food and Fit says

      January 08, 2012 at 1:39 am

      visiting from citrus bloghop but I'm from Michigan! My mother-in-law lives in south florida too and always has fresh citrus on hand. Anyways this cake looks great, I have all ingredients and possibly will make this soon!

      Reply
    19. Richa says

      January 08, 2012 at 2:27 am

      i love love olive oil cakes! and citrusy will be perfect for right now.. the crumb looks gorgeous!

      Reply
    20. Maris (In Good Taste) says

      January 08, 2012 at 2:33 am

      Beautiful cake that sounds light and refreshing

      Reply
    21. www.you-made-that.com says

      January 08, 2012 at 2:48 am

      Yum, love the olive oil citrus cake, I'm jealous about the citrus fruit and living in Florida. My family lives in Ca. and it's the same there too.

      Reply
    22. CulinaryCache says

      January 08, 2012 at 3:20 am

      This sounds like a fantastic recipe. Great Post! I'm following your blog now.

      Reply
    23. Anonymous says

      January 08, 2012 at 3:30 am

      Oooh, this looks delicious! I'm with you - there's something about Florida citrus!

      Reply
    24. Laura at The Art of Cooking Real Food says

      January 08, 2012 at 3:35 am

      What a beautiful, refreshing cake! I'll bet the glaze would be amazing with grapefruit juice - great suggestion!

      Reply
    25. Baker Street says

      January 08, 2012 at 4:03 am

      Lora, you're cake is truly beautiful. Lovely recipe too!

      Reply
    26. Elizabeth @Mango_Queen says

      January 08, 2012 at 5:30 am

      What a wonderful olive oil cake! Thanks for sharing this gorgeous post & recipe ! Glad to do citrus-love with you!

      Reply
    27. Terra says

      January 08, 2012 at 5:39 am

      Oh I love love olive oil cakes, your cake looks so beautiful! That is one thing I adored about living in Tucson, you always had gorgeous sunlight! Love the pictues:-) Hugs,Terra

      Reply
    28. Lisa says

      January 08, 2012 at 6:27 am

      The first time I made an olive oil cake, well, orange olive oil cupcakes, I was pleasantly surprised at how incredibly moist they were, without the olive oil 'olivey' taste. I love the addition of pink grapefruit zest with the lemon and orange, as you usually see lime. I've got a new, growing column of 'Lora' bookmarks. Definitely making this!

      Reply
    29. decocinasytacones says

      January 08, 2012 at 10:06 am

      Lora wonderful cake!, I love anything with lemon.
      Love from Spain
      Marialuisa

      Reply
    30. Sylvia@peaches and donuts says

      January 08, 2012 at 10:40 am

      I love using olive oil in baking but i usually use light ones. Perhaps I should try using extra virgin too!
      Great refreshing cake you have here!

      Reply
    31. Lauren at Keep It Sweet says

      January 08, 2012 at 2:15 pm

      I just love how you can see the sunlight coming through in your cake photos, how beautiful!

      So jealous of your great grapefruit prices. I also enjoy them in season.

      Reply
    32. Curt says

      January 08, 2012 at 2:26 pm

      What a great idea adding the zest of a grapefruit to different foods. I'll have to try that with pasta.

      Reply
    33. Paula says

      January 08, 2012 at 3:36 pm

      You are sooo lucky to have all that wonderful citrus so readily available to you and at such great prices. I think it's neat that you added grapefruit zest to this cake...something I never would have thought to do for sure. Looks delicious...my type of breakfast food 😉

      Reply
    34. Asmita says

      January 08, 2012 at 4:08 pm

      What a beautiful cake, so moist and flavorful!

      Reply
    35. Cake says

      January 08, 2012 at 5:40 pm

      This cake looks divine! Definitely brings me back to my days living in Italy. Great #citruslove addition!

      Reply
    36. Junia says

      January 08, 2012 at 6:59 pm

      i love how simple and light this cake is! i used to make a glaze with lemon juice, lemon zest and confectioner's sugar for my lemon poppy seed cake long ago! this is totally bookmarked. 🙂 sending some #citruslove to you!

      Reply
    37. The Wimpy Vegetarian says

      January 09, 2012 at 2:03 am

      I love olive oil cakes - they're so moist!! And your photos are just beautiful. Bookmarked this one, and sending you some #citruslove!!

      Reply
    38. Monet says

      January 11, 2012 at 3:45 am

      Everytime I eat a grapefruit...I think of you. You were so kind to send them to me and my family last year. But after knowing you, I'm not surprised. You are such a giving and generous person, and it is expressed in your writing and your creations. Thank you for sharing, my sweet friend!

      Reply
    39. Sue says

      January 11, 2012 at 6:41 am

      This cake sounds amazing, Lora, though it made me pucker a little bit reading the ingredients:) YUMMO!

      Reply
    40. Darrell says

      January 12, 2012 at 6:18 am

      Beautiful and simple cake!!! Love these styles 🙂 I wouldn't mind this being my breakfast hehe.

      Reply
    41. Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction says

      January 12, 2012 at 8:20 pm

      This cake looks lovely... I love baking with olive oil. Yum!

      Reply

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    Welcome to our Italian kitchen! We are Lora and Gabriella, the mother-daughter team behind Savoring Italy. With more than 30+ years of experience in the kitchen, Lora has had a great advantage – receiving guidance from both her husband who is an executive chef/restaurant owner and her mother who is a renowned private chef. 

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