Gluten-Free Orange Olive Oil Cake (Nut-Free + Moist!)
This cake is bright, tender, and slightly fancy without being fussy. It’s the kind of dessert you bring to a shower or serve to guests when you want them to say, “Wait — this is gluten-free?” The olive oil keeps it moist, and the orange zest makes it feel like sunshine on a plate. No nuts, no special flours, just pantry staples and citrus magic.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- zest of 1 orange
- 1/2 cup orange juice fresh is best, but bottled works
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups gluten-free 1:1 flour blend I use King Arthur Measure for Measure
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour (GF) a 9-inch round cake pan.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk olive oil, sugar, eggs, orange zest, juice, and vanilla until smooth.
- In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and whisk gently until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden and a toothpick slides out clean.
- Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then move to a rack to finish cooling.
- Optional: dust with powdered sugar or drizzle a light orange glaze.
Notes
Stays moist for days and is even better on day two.