Today’s recipe for Orange Cardamom Olive Oil Tea Cake is a clever, slightly sweet, slightly savory tasting tea cake made with no refined sugar or white flour. Hints of citrus and cardamom plus a subtle taste of olive oil give this honey-sweetened bread a complex and delicious flavor profile.

Orange Cardamom Olive Oil Tea Cake is a very moist, interesting cake bread alternative.  It is healthier than most coffee or tea cakes that are loaded with butter.  This cake is moistened with olive oil.

The benefits of baking with olive oil:

• rich in heart-healthy fats
• high in antioxidants that help fight disease
• earthy, unique taste

pictured here with dried cranberries and walnuts as add-ins

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I’ve been using olive oil in recent baking and recipes.  It provides moisture and interesting flavor notes.  California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Mild and Buttery Olive Oil is a creamy variety that has less bite than most olive oils.  It lends well in baking.

Key ingredients to make Orange Cardamom Olive Oil Tea Cake:

• whole wheat pastry flour
• light and buttery olive oil
• ground cardamom
• fresh orange rind
• light buttermilk (or a buttermilk substitute, see our recipe notes section in the recipe card)

My favorite way to enjoy a slice of warmed cardamom tea cake is with an extra drizzle of California orange blossom honey and an herbal tea.

choose honey that is in a glass jar that way you can microwave it when it becomes cool and too thick to pour and mix

This recipe calls for light buttercream.  Low-fat milk mixed with yogurt and a little lemon juice can be substituted.

Steps for making Orange Cardamom Olive Oil Tea Cake:

• Sift together the dry ingredients
• Stir and combine the wet ingredients
• Add the dry into the wet and stir until smooth
• Spray oil and lightly dust a standard sized bread pan.
• Bake and cool

keep stirring until the cake bread batter becomes smooth

To do this unique, sophisticated cake bread proper justice, serve it with fresh herbs, berries and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Be sure to pin this one in your favorite Pinterest boards –

If you try this tasty tea cake at home, please rate the recipe here!

Yield: 8

Orange Cardamom Olive Oil Tea Cake

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Orange Cardamom Olive Oil Tea Cake is a clever, slightly sweet, slightly savory tasting tea cake made with no refined sugar or white flour. Hints of citrus and cardamom plus a subtle flavor of olive oil give this honey-sweetened bread a complex and delicious flavor profile.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons stevia powder (optional)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup honey (we prefer orange blossom honey)
• 1 cup low-fat *buttermilk (see recipe notes for substitutes)
• 3/4 cup light and buttery olive oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh orange/lemon zest (the zest of 2 medium-sized oranges and/or lemons)
• Optional add-ins: 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• spray oil
• a few pinches extra flour for pan

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Prepare a bread pan (about 9 by 5 inches in size) with spray oil and dust with flour
3. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl
4. Warm the honey
5. Lightly beat the egg with a fork or whisk
6. Add the remaining wet ingredients together and whisk (the olive oil can be slow to incorporate - *keep at it and it will eventually combine)
7. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until smooth
8. Add the orange rind to the cake bread batter and stir until incorporated
9. Stir in any optional add-ins (cranberries and walnuts)
10. Pour evenly into a prepared bread pan
11. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top and sides are golden brown and it passes the toothpick test (a toothpick comes out clean)

Notes

Olive oil can be quite stubborn about combining.  Keep at it with stirring! It may not seem like it but the olive oil will eventually incorporate and mix into the other wet ingredients until smooth.  If you are accustomed to a sweeter taste, increase the proportions of honey and/or stevia in this recipe.

I typically use a buttermilk substitute in recipes as I don't like buying it just to make one thing. I do however always have some plain yogurt, low-fat milk, and lemon juice in the refrigerator.

*Lowfat buttermilk substitute: 1/2 cup low-fat milk stirred into 1/2 cup non-fat, plain greek yogurt plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

Tips for using honey: Warm honey in a glass jar or measuring cup for easier measuring and combining. Use spray oil to lubricate the inside of measuring cup before pouring honey in for easier pouring and cleaning.

For extra citrus-y flavor, add optional 1 teaspoon of orange blossom water to the cake batter.

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  California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil Mild and Buttery

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 570Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 393mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 7gSugar: 10gProtein: 13g