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Orange Cardamom Cake

Published: Jan 15, 2023 · Modified: Jan 29, 2023 by Natalie · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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A slice of orange cake on a plate with the name of the cake labeled on top.

This orange cardamom cake is a flavorful one-layer cake made with fresh orange and warm cardamom. Olive oil adds a fruity flavor and makes the cake extra moist. It’s topped with a two-ingredient chocolate ganache and is such a simple recipe!

This cardamom cake recipe is simple and delicious. It’s a no fuss one-layer cake made without a mixer. It’s flavored with cardamom, orange and olive oil and topped with chocolate ganache.

I had so many requests to make another olive oil cake recipe after sharing my pumpkin olive oil cake, so here it is! I added orange since it’s citrus season and cardamom since it’s a warm spice that’s perfect for winter!

For more olive oil recipes, try my lemon rosemary olive oil cake and blood orange olive oil cake.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • The flavors of the fresh orange, warm cardamom and fruity olive oil will have everyone requesting this olive oil cardamom cake again and again.
  • The olive oil this cake makes the cake extra moist for days.
  • Chocolate ganache makes the perfect finishing touch. Chocolate and orange are so good together!
  • This easy cardamom olive oil cake recipe only has a few steps and doesn’t require a mixer or any specialty tools. You only need 12 simple ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make it!
  • The elevated flavors make this cake perfect for a special dessert. It’s also easy enough to mix together for a weeknight treat.

Ingredient Notes

Labeled ingredients needed to make orange cardamom cake laid out on a table.

Here are some useful notes on the ingredients.

  • All purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Cardamom:
  • Salt
  • Olive oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil adds moisture and a fruity flavor to this cake. It also brings out the fragrant flavor of the orange. If you prefer a milder olive oil flavor, use 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup of a neutral oil like canola oil or vegetable oil.
  • Greek yogurt: Use plain, full fat, room temperature Greek yogurt.
  • Eggs: Use 2 large, room temperature eggs.
  • Orange zest and orange juice: You’ll need 1 medium orange to get the right amount of orange zest and juice. Orange adds a fresh, citrusy flavor to the cake. Feel free to add more or less orange if you like.
  • Heavy cream: Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
  • Chocolate: chocolate baking bars work best for this ganache. They melt better and more evenly than chocolate chips. I recommend semi-sweet. It is not as dark as bittersweet and not as sweet as milk chocolate.

See recipe card below for measurements.

Substitutions and Variations

  • Lemon – Instead of orange, swap in lemon juice and zest to make this a Lemon cardamom cake.
  • Sour cream – Use full fat, room temperature Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
  • Chocolate – I prefer using semi-sweet. You can swap in bittersweet or milk chocolate if you prefer.
  • Nuts– For a extra flavor and decoration, top the ganache with shelled, salt free pistachios or sliced almonds. Add nuts right after the ganache so that they stick to it.
  • Orange zest– Top the ganache with strips of orange zest. It adds color and lets everyone know the flavor of the cake.
  • Powdered sugar-instead of ganache, dust some powdered sugar on top of the cooled cake.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are the directions on how to make and bake this cardamom dessert.

Making the Cardamom Cake

A white mixing bowl with dry ingredients and a whisk.

Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

A mixing bowl with cake batter and a whisk.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, orange zest and eggs til light and fluffy. Whisk in the sour cream and orange juice followed by the olive oil.

A large mixing bowl with cake batter and a white spatula in it.

Step 3: Use a rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients alternatively. Stir until just combined. Pour mixture into an 8 inch round pan lined with parchment paper.

A round cake pan with cake batter in it.

Step 4: Place into oven at 350 Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Place pan on a rack and cool 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before topping with ganache.

Making the chocolate ganache

Chocolate ganache in a glass bowl with a spoon.

Step 1: Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a gentle simmer. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate. Do not stir. Let stand 2-3 minutes then stir slowly with a metal spoon until the chocolate has melted and is combined with the heavy cream.

A cake with chocolate ganache, a sliced orange and a bowl of cardamom pods.

Step 2: Pour the ganache over the cooled cake. Spread evenly with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.

Hint: Use a large serrated knife to finely chop the chocolate. Finely chopped chocolate will melt better than larger chunks of chocolate.

Expert Tips

  1. Zest the orange before juicing it. It’s much easier to zest when it’s still whole. I recommend a microplane for zesting. Grate off only the outer orange part of the orange. Avoid grating the white part of peel.
  2. Olive oil adds a fruity flavor. I love the flavor of the olive oil, but for a milder flavor, use 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil for 1/4 cup of the olive oil.
  3. Use high quality pure chocolate baking bars. I like to use like Baker’s or Ghiradelli. You can find these in the baking aisle. The chocolate should be at least 60% cocoa. If you use low quality chocolate, your ganache could turn out grainy.
  4. Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream for the ganache. Don’t use whole milk or half in half. It won’t give you the same result.
  5. Stir the ganache together with a metal spoon. I wouldn’t recommend using a whisk. Stir the cream and chocolate together slowly.

Recipe FAQs

What is cardamom?

Cardamom is a spice in the ginger family. The spice is made from the seeds in the pods of the cardamom plant. Cardamom has a fragrant, unique smell and flavor.

Where can you buy cardamom?

You can buy cardamom in the spice section of grocery store baking aisles. It can also be found in Middle Eastern grocery stores or online.

What is chocolate ganache?

Chocolate ganache is a rich, chocolatey mixture made with hot cream and melted chocolate. It can be used for cake drips, drizzles, and fillings. It can also be whipped and piped on cakes and cucpcakes.

What kind of chocolate should I use for chocolate ganache?

Chocolate baking bars work best for this ganache. They melt better and more evenly than chocolate chips. I recommend semi-sweet. It is not as dark as bittersweet and not as sweet as milk chocolate.

A slice of orange cake on a plate and the cake sliced.

Storage

Room Temperature: Store this olive oil cardamom cake in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Freezer: Freeze the unfrosted cake in an airtight for up to 2 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Orange cake with chocolate ganache on a rack and some cardamom pods and an orange.

More Recipes You’ll Love

  • Mini Chocolate Cake
  • Flourless Chocolate Cake
  • Blood Orange Cheesecake
  • Baked Orange Donuts

Orange Cardamom Cake

This orange cardamom cake is a flavorful one-layer cake made with fresh orange and warm cardamom. Olive oil adds a fruity flavor and makes the cake extra moist. It's topped with a two-ingredient chocolate ganache and everyone will love it!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 432 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Orange Cardamom Cake

  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest from 1 medium orange
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup full fat sour cream room temperature, or full fat plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Chocolate Ganache

  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
  • 4 ounces heavy cream or heavy whipping cream

Instructions
 

Orange Cardamom Cake

  • Spray an 8 inch round cake pan with baking spray. Line with a round of parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, orange zest and eggs til light and fluffy.
  • Whisk in the sour cream and orange juice. Whisk in the oil til combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Bake 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Place the cake pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool 15 minutes then turn out on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, run a knife along the edge of the pan to make sure it is not sticking. Remove cake from pan. Allow cake to cool completely.
  • Once cooled, pour the ganache over top. Spread with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula and enjoy!

Chocolate Ganache

  • Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan on medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Do not let it get to a boil. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate. Do not stir. Let stand 2-3 minutes then stir slowly with a metal spoon until the chocolate has melted and is completely combined with the heavy cream. Spread the ganache over the cooled cake. 

Notes

Orange Zest: Orange zest is the orange part of the peel on an orange. Use a microplane to grate the orange part of the peel. Do not grate the white pith part of the peel. 
Neutral Oil: If you prefer a more mild flavor, use part olive oil and part neutral oil such as vegetable oil or canola oil. 
High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil adds a fragrant, fruity flavor. If you prefer a milder olive oil flavor, reduce olive oil to 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup of a neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil. 
Chocolate: Use semi-sweet, bittersweet or milk chocolate for the ganache. I recommend semi-sweet. It is not as dark as bittersweet and not as sweet as milk chocolate.
Heavy Cream or Heavy Whipping Cream: Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream for the ganache. Do not substitute whole milk or half and half for the heavy cream. 
Storage: Store this cake in an airtight cake at room temperature for up to 3 days. 
Nutrition Information: The nutrition information provided is an estimate. The calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 432kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 5gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 232mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 2gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 371IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2mg
Keyword cake, cardamom, ganache, olive oil, orange, white chocolate ganache
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