This orange olive oil cake is a celebration of oranges and beets, and the magic that olive oil and ricotta bring to a breakfast cake or quick bread. Organic beauty for breakfast !
To make this orange olive oil cake you need this Blood Orange Olive Oil | + 9” spring form pan like this ( similar style here )
First of all, let me tell you about the struggle between calling this an Orange Olive Oil Cake, a Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake, or a Red Beet Blood Orange and Ricotta Olive Oil Cake. My libra brain was in major distress because in reality this cake / quick bread thing is all of the above.
So because I used two different kinds of oranges, I thought it wouldn’t be fair to the plain oranges to just name it blood orange cake. You see, the struggle is real you guys, and how could I leave out the red beet that makes it as gorgeous as it is ? And not to mention my baking partners in crime: olive oil and ricotta ? I’m a complete disaster without them, so I hope I made the right decision. Don’t you judge me !
That being said, you are free to use just one kind of orange if you like, or a mix of blood oranges, clementines and even grapefruit, it would be a lovely pretty mix. One thing you just can’t leave out of this recipe would be the red beets. Speaking of which, I usually roast a large batch myself to use in salads and save a couple for this cake. We are very blessed with beet root in Southern California all year long. If that isn’t the case in your neck of the woods, you can still use the canned red beets variety.
That magical color of this orange olive oil cake comes from whipping up the ricotta cheese with two red beets in a food processor. Also those two ingredients contribute to the extremely moist and fluffy texture of the cake.
Tough I do call it a cake, it is really a quick bread type of cake, ready in 40 minutes or so. The final texture is actually fluffy and almost cheesecake like, not dense and heavy like a cake would be. Reason being is that I strongly insist on Folding the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients of your orange olive oil cake. Absolutely no mixer speed mixing allowed here.
The je ne sais quoi of this red orange olive oil cake comes from the Blood Orange Olive Oil I use as my fat of choice. Healthy choice but also so divine. You can grab some here If you like, or look for it at your local market. I use this blood orange olive oil as a moisturizer on my face as well and as a hair treatment. I’m kind of obsessed If you remember my olive oil beauty Post.
One obvious thing i did not figure out how to work in the title, is that this is an Upside Down Orange Olive Oil Cake. So you will need a springform pan that is oiled or buttered well, then sprinkled with coconut sugar for a nice caramelization on the orange slices that get layered in the bottom.
Really tough, this is just as easy as making my Blueberry Muffin Cake from Valentine’s. You know I wouldn’t confuse you with complicated instructions, especially when it comes to baking. So think of this just like making muffins but for the Golden Globes or something like that. I sure do hope what I’m saying is making sense.
It wouldn’t be me If I hadn’t sprinkled some fresh basil on top of my blood orange olive oil cake.
Sadly I didn’t have any edible flowers around, like white pansies, or I would have love to sprinkle them all over this beauty. If you have some: do it ! Your cake will be better than mine hehe.
Last but not least, If you make this orange olive oil send me a photo, or tag it with #CiaoFlorentina on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter so I can see it. You all know this things make my day.
And next time you need to show up somewhere with a pretty dessert, just make this orange olive oil cake and sprinkle pretty flowers on top, I bet you’ll get some brownie points, or beet points, whatevers… ~ Florentina Xo’s
- 3 blood oranges
- 1 c ricotta cheese
- 2 red beets, roasted
- 1 organic egg
- ⅓ c extra virgin blood orange olive oil
- 1½ c all purpose flour
- ¾ c granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar or granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest from 1 orange
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Preheat your oven to 375”F
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sea salt and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor purée the red beets together with the ricotta cheese and vanilla extract until smooth and whipped.
- In a separate bowl again together the egg with the granulated sugar until creamy. Add the orange zest and blood orange olive oil and whisk until incorporated.
- Add the whipped ricotta and red beet mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients and using a spatula stir to combine.
- Pour the red beet ricotta mixture in the bowl with the flour.
- Using a spatula fold the wet and dry ingredients together until combined.
- Prepare a 9" spring form pan by buttering or oiling the inside. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of coconut sugar on the bottom and shake around to coat the bottom. Discard any excess.
- Using a sharp knife peel the oranges discarding the peel. Slice them into thin slices and arrange them tightly in the bottom of the spring form pan.
- Pour the orange olive oil cake mixture on top and spread evenly using your spatula.
- Place the cake in a rimmed baking sheet and into the preheated oven.
- Bake your olive oil cake for about 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted I. The center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes until cool.
- Open the spring form and remove from the cake. Run a sharp knife around the sides to loosen it up if necessary. Place a plate on top of the cake and very gently flip it over, so the plate ends up being on the bottom.
- Remove the bottom of the pan very carefully to show the pretty caramelized oranges.
- Garnish with fresh basil or edible flowers and enjoy !
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