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Orange Thyme Olive Oil Cake

This Orange Thyme Olive Oil Cake is the perfect way to celebrate citrus. It’s soft, moist, spongy, and it has the most delicious orange glaze. This mouthwatering cake is also totally plant-based.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:45 minutes
Total Time:1 hour
Course: Bread & Baked, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake
Servings: 9

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour, spoon & level method
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ⅓ cup soy milk, or other plant-based milk (dairy milk would be fine too)
  • ⅓ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 oranges)
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp flaxseed meal
  • 3 tbsp water, to mix with flaxseed
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, (not all types are vegan, so be sure to check)
  • 1 ½ tbsp orange zest, about 1-2 oranges
  • 1 ½ tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze

  • ¾ cup powdered sugar, (not all types are vegan, so be sure to check)
  • 1 ½ tbsp orange juice
  • ½ tbsp orange zest
  • pinch salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
  • Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt).
    1 ¾ cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp sea salt
  • Make a flax “egg” by mixing the flaxseed meal with the water and let sit for about 7 minutes to thicken slightly.
    1 tbsp flaxseed meal, 3 tbsp water
  • Whisk together the orange juice and the milk and let sit for a few minutes. Doing this will mimic buttermilk, which helps react with the baking soda.
    ⅓ cup soy milk, ⅓ cup orange juice
  • In a large bowl, add the sugar, 1 ½ tbsp orange zest, and the thyme. Rub them together with your fingers to infuse the sugar with orange and thyme flavors.
    1 cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ tbsp orange zest, 1 ½ tbsp fresh thyme
  • To the bowl with the sugar, mix in the olive oil, then the milk and orange juice mixture.
    ½ cup olive oil
  • Add the vanilla and the flax egg.
    1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined (don’t overmix).
  • Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out mostly clean and the middle looks cooked through. Remove from oven, let rest for 10 minutes, then gently transfer cake to a serving dish to cool.
  • Whisk together the glaze ingredients and pour glaze over the cake (can be done when cake is still slightly warm, or can let it cool completely first).
    ¾ cup powdered sugar, 1 ½ tbsp orange juice, ½ tbsp orange zest, pinch salt