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Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake

Pumpkin olive oil cake with a crackled, golden top and a tender crumb made by whisking wet ingredients smooth, then folding in dry. Baked until a toothpick comes out clean and finished with a generous powdered sugar dusting.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.75 cup good quality olive oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 0.25 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then grease a 9-inch round cake pan or springform to prevent sticking.
  2. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or springform.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt together until evenly combined.
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Whisk the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar (packed), olive oil, eggs, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and orange zest until smooth.
Combine and bake
  1. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
  2. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  3. Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and finish
  1. Cool the cake completely, then dust generously with powdered sugar.

Notes

Pro tip: fold just until you no longer see dry flour—overmixing can make the crumb tough even with the olive oil. Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezing is yes: wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Dietary swap: use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour in place of all-purpose flour for a gluten-free version (check that your baking powder is gluten-free).