Orange Olive Oil Cake with Mascarpone Frosting

This light, tender, impossibly moist orange olive oil cake has a gorgeous, subtle natural orange flavor thanks to orange-infused olive oil. When layered with orange marmalade and creamy mascarpone frosting it's a light and creamy cake that's bursting with bright citrus flavor.

The first time I made an Olive Oil Cake I was blown away with how rich and flavorful it was. I split the cake in half and filled it with lemon mascarpone pastry cream and it not only became a favorite of my family but one of the most popular recipes I've ever published.

Since then, I've reached for olive oil every time I wanted to bake a cake with a light, tender texture and a bright fruity flavor. Using it in this Lemon Loaf Cake and in these cute little Lemon Ricotta Olive Oil Loaves was a no-brainer.

And when I considered the kind of flavor and texture I wanted to create in an orange layer cake, olive oil was the first ingredient to come to mind. Olive oil cakes are impossibly moist and the flavor is the perfect complement to citrus. Infusing olive oil with orange peel gives this cake a subtle, natural orange flavor that is really incredible.

In this recipe, I've stacked three layers of orange olive oil cake with orange marmalade and creamy Mascarpone Frosting and decorated it with easy-to-make Candied Orange Slices. But think of it as a blank canvas for any kind of citrus-flavored cake you'd like to make.

Additions, Substitutions, and Variations

Follow this same recipe to make any kind of citrus-flavored cake, lemon, lime, or even grapefruit.

• Citrus Infused Olive Oil - Instead of orange peel, blend the peel of any other kind of citrus fruit with olive oil. You can also use a combination of fruit.
• Citrus Marmalade - Follow the simple homemade marmalade recipe above to make lemon, lime, or grapefruit marmalade instead of orange marmalade.
• Fill the layers with fruit jam or curd instead of marmalade - If marmalade isn't your thing, spread a layer of any kind of fruit jam or fruit curd between the layers instead.
• Candied Citrus Slices - this simple recipe for candied orange slices can be used to make candied lemon or lime slices instead.
• Use dried fruit instead of candied - Use dried oranges or any kind of dried fruit to decorate and to serve with this cake instead of candied orange slices.
• Instead of Mascarpone Frosting - Frost this cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream, American Buttercream, Italian Meringue Buttercream, or White Chocolate Ganache Buttercream.

Step-by-Step Photos and Instructions

This cake gets its orange flavor from orange-infused olive oil that's super quick and easy to make. Simply cut the peel from 2 oranges leaving most of the white part (the pith) behind.

Add the peel to a blender or a food processor along with 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Blend/ process until the mixture is smooth. This can be done up to 48 hours in advance. Store the orange-infused olive oil in an airtight container at room temperature.

Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt to a medium size bow and stir with a wire whisk to combine.

Add the orange-infused olive oil, eggs, buttermilk, orange juice, vanilla, and sugar to another bowl and beat it with an electric mixer for 2 or 3 minutes. If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until everything is combined. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment for this step.

Pour the cake batter into two or three 8-inch round cake pans that have been greased and floured and lined with parchment paper. (Here's how to prepare cake pans so the cake won't stick.)

Time to bake!

Let the cakes cool in their pans for about 5 minutes after removing them from the oven then flip them out onto wire racks and allow them to cool completely.

If you've followed the tip above to use two cake pans, cut the thick layer in half so you now have three layers of cake.

Brush each layer with a tablespoon or two of orange liquor. This is an optional step but infuses the cake with a deeper orange flavor and helps keep the layers moist and fresh for longer.

Place one layer of cake on a cake board and spread about ½ cup of orange marmalade in the center. Pipe a ring of mascarpone frosting around the edge of the cake to keep the marmalade contained.

Pipe some frosting over the top of the marmalade.

Use an icing spatula to spread the frosting over the marmalade.

Repeat with the second layer, covering it with marmalade...

... and mascarpone frosting.

Stack the third layer on top of the second and scoop a large amount of mascarpone frosting onto the top of the cake.

Use an icing spatula to smooth the frosting over the top of the cake, spreading it over the sides to cover the cake completely.

Decorate the cake with a few candied orange slices and it's ready to serve.

Storage and Make Ahead Instructions

This cake stays moist and fresh tasting for several days especially if you opt to brush the layers with orange liquor.

Even if you leave the orange liquor out, a completely assembled and frosted orange olive oil cake will keep well in the refrigerator for at least 3 days. Leftover cake, when stored in the refrigerator, will still be delicious 4 or 5 days after the cake is cut.

It's very important to refrigerate the cake once it's frosted. Mascarpone frosting is, of course, dairy-based and should not be left out at room temperature for more than 3 or 4 hours.

Once frosted, the cake cannot be frozen (Mascarpone Frosting doesn't freeze well). But, the individual orange olive oil cake layers can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap them in a layer or two of plastic wrap then in a layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. If you opt to brush the cake layers with orange liquor, do that before freezing them.

There's no need to thaw frozen cake layers before filling and decorating but you will want to allow enough time for the cake to thaw before serving.

• Orange marmalade can be prepared up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
• Mascarpone frosting can be prepared up to 5 days in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. Re-whip it before using to make it easier to smooth over the cake.
• Candied orange slices can be prepared up to a month ahead of time and require no refrigeration. Store them in an air-tight container at room temperature with parchment separating layers of slices to prevent them from sticking together.

More Citrus-Flavored Recipes

Hey there citrus lover. Check out these popular citrusy treats: