Apple Olive Oil Cake: A Spice-Infused Cake Recipe You’ll Love

Published on: April 22, 2025

Slice of apple and olive oil cake garnished with apple slices and powdered sugar on a rustic wooden table.

Combining olive oil and apple transforms a traditional apple cake into something truly special. Unlike butter-based recipes, using quality extra virgin olive oil in the batter ensures a moist cake with a tender crumb that stays soft for days. The olive oil apple combination enhances the natural sweetness of fresh apples, creating a balance between fruity tartness and a smooth, rich texture.

The simple apple olive oil cake recipe structure relies on basic ingredients like all-purpose flour, baking powder, and brown sugar, but it’s the addition of extra virgin olive oil and chopped delicious apple that elevates the experience. When you slice into this cake, you’ll notice the golden crust and the glistening apple slices on top, making it as beautiful as it is delicious. This unique olive oil cake is simple to make yet feels luxurious, perfect for a midweek treat or a festive gathering.

How Do You Combine Apple and Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a Cake Recipe?

To make an apple olive oil cake, start by gently folding fresh apples into a well-emulsified olive oil cake batter. Begin in a large bowl by whisking together eggs and sugar until fluffy. Then, slowly stream in oil based while whisking to create a smooth batter. This technique prevents separation and helps the cake rise evenly in a springform pan or round cake pan.

Next, toss chopped apples or make this apple sliced in a light coating of flour so they don’t sink. Carefully fold the apples into the batter using a spatula, ensuring each piece is coated. This method distributes the fruit throughout the cake, giving you tender pockets of apple in every bite. The result is an apple cake with olive oil that feels almost like a light applesauce-infused delight.

Ingredients for an Italian desserts Apple Olive Oil Cake

Overhead view of olive oil, flour, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, lemon zest and sliced apples arranged for cake ingredients.

Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Use a high‑quality extra virgin olive oil with fruity or peppery notes to infuse the cake with a delicate, savory depth.
Granny Smith Apples
Peel and core tart Granny Smith apples, then chop into bite‑sized apple slices to contrast the cake’s natural sweetness.
Cane Sugar or Brown Sugar
Sweeten the batter with cane sugar (or brown sugar for a hint of caramel), ensuring a moist cake with rich flavor.
All‑Purpose Flour
Provides structure; measure precisely to keep the cake tender yet sturdy.
Cake Flour
Substitute a small portion of cake flour for an extra‑fine crumb and lighter texture.
Baking Powder
Acts as the leavening agent, helping the cake rise and come out light.
Salt
Just a pinch to balance sweetness and enhance overall flavor.
Ground Cinnamon
A touch of spice that complements the apple and olive oil for a classic Italian apple olive oil cake profile.
Citrus Zest (Lemon or Orange)
Fold in fresh zest to brighten the olive oil cake recipe with a subtle citrus twist.

How to Whisk and Prepare the Batter for Your Apple Cake with Olive Oil?

Collage of whisking eggs and sugar, drizzling olive oil, folding dry mix, and stirring apple slices into cake batter.

Step 1: Prep Your Equipment
Grease a springform pan or round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Step 2: Combine Eggs and Sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if whisking by hand), add eggs and sugar at room temperature.
Step 3: Whisk Until Thick
Whisk vigorously until the mixture is pale and thick—about 3 minutes in a mixer or 5 minutes by hand.
Step 4: Drizzle in good quality extra virgin olive
With the mixer running (or whisk in hand), slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil to form a stable emulsion.
Step 5: Sift Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, sift together all‑purpose flour, cake flour (if using), baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.
Step 6: Fold Dry into Wet
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg‑oil mixture using a spatula, stopping as soon as no streaks remain.
Step 7: Add Apple Slices
Toss your chopped Granny Smith apple slices in a little flour, then fold them into the batter to prevent sinking.
Step 8: Transfer to Pan
Pour the batter into your prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
Step 9: Bake the Cake
Bake according to your olive oil cake recipe instructions—typically 45–55 minutes—until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 10: Cool Completely
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

The Best Tips to Bake the Perfect Apple Olive Oil Cake?

Baking makes all the difference for a delicious cake. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and position the rack in the center. If you’re using a springform pan, wrap the outside with plastic wrap or foil to prevent leaks. Line the bottom with parchment paper to ensure a clean release.

Bake the cake for about 45–55 minutes. Begin testing at the 40-minute mark: insert a toothpick into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is done. The top should be golden and set. Avoid overbaking, as it can dry out the moist cake. Once you remove the cake from the oven, let it cool completely on a wire rack before removing from the pan to preserve the delicate crumb.

Infuse Cinnamon and Spice into Your Olive Oil Apple Cake?

Spice transforms a simple apple cake into a cozy, aromatic dessert. Add ground cinnamon to your dry ingredients, along with optional nutmeg or cardamom for warmth. Cinnamon pairs beautifully with apple and delicious olive oil, bringing out the sweetness and adding a fragrant layer.

You can also sprinkle a cinnamon-sugar mixture atop the cake before baking for a crusty, caramelized finish. For extra depth, gently toss chopped apples with cinnamon and a drizzle of applesauce before folding them into the batter. This method ensures each bite contains both spice and juicy fruit, creating a cake that feels like a comforting slice of apple pie.

8. Why You’ll Love This Easy Apple recipe

This easy simple and delicious apple cake recipe combines simplicity with robust flavor. Using vegetable oil instead of butter makes the cake lighter, while the addition of chopped apples and cinnamon infuses every bite with warmth and fruitiness. The batter comes together quickly with common pantry staples like flour, eggs, and brown sugar and olive oil.

With its tender crumb and moist texture, this apple olive oil cake is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack. It pairs beautifully with coffee or tea and can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Enjoy this delicious recipe and impress friends and family with your baking with olive oil!

FAQs

How long will apple cake keep?

A homemade apple cake with olive oil apple and chopped apples will stay moist 2–3 days at room temperature in a round cake pan or cake in an airtight container, and up to 7 days refrigerated.

How long can you keep olive oil cake?

An olive oil apple cake (olive oil cake recipe made with quality extra virgin olive oil) keeps 3–4 days at room temperature and 5–7 days refrigerated in a cake in an airtight container.

Does olive oil change cake taste?

Yes – using extra virgin olive oil makes a moist cake with delicious olive, subtle spice, and a more delicate crumb than butter, turning a simple cake into a perfect cake.

Why did my olive oil cake fall?

The center of the cake comes down when eggs and sugar are overmixed in a bowl of a stand mixer, cake flour or baking powder is mismeasured, or you remove the cake from the oven before a toothpick in the center comes out clean.