My Olive Oil Wedding Cake

I may be biased, but I swear my wedding cake was the most delicious. It was an olive oil cake with brown butter buttercream made by Little Flower in Pasadena. Here I’m sharing how to make a single layer of my wedding cake using a springform pan.

I knew I wanted my wedding cake to be extra delicious. I love cake but I’m particular. I love GOOD cake – moist, flavorful cake made with wholesome ingredients. I’m not interested in mass-produced cake, boxed cake, or canned frosting. When Carl & I decided to hold our wedding at our friends’ home in Altadena, the first local cake that came to mind was the olive oil cake at the now defunct Lincoln café. That was a memorable cake, decadently moist and impressively tall, baked in a springform pan. The brown butter buttercream is hauntingly delicious with pretty flecks of brown butter scattered throughout the frosting. I’m normally not a frosting person. I usually scrape frosting to the side of my plate, and in fact excessive frosting is the reason why I’m not a cupcake person. However, this brown butter frosting is different. I actually love this frosting because of the complex brown butter flavor and distinct hint of salt.

Sadly, the lovely Lincoln café had closed permanently during the Covid quarantine. I remember listening to an interview with the owner on an episode of KCRW’s Good Food where she shared her distress about being unable to keep the business afloat during Covid. However, I knew Lincoln was the sister café of Little Flower a few miles away. When I inquired at Little Flower, they told me they make the same olive oil cake, and that it’s their most popular wedding cake. I also discovered the bakery owner is friends with the host of our wedding house. It was the perfect choice.

Because I already owned a copy of the Little Flower Baking cookbook, I briefly fantasized about baking my own wedding cake using the published recipe. However, friends were quick to advise me to relax let someone else bake the cake for me. I’m so glad I let the bakery handle the cake so I didn’t add unneeded stress to my day.

Just like everything at our wedding, every aspect of our cake table was a community effort. Our friend Natalie topped the wedding cake with peonies, ranunculus & anemones that matched the bouquet. The cake table was decorated with a lace tablecloth that my great-grandma Margaret had crocheted for my mom’s wedding. You might notice some cookies in the background of the cake table photos. My family has a tradition of baking cookies for weddings to be served alongside the cake. During the few days before the wedding, my mom gathered a few friends and family to help her bake hundreds of special cookies. They baked her signature molasses cookies that she invented with white pepper & mustard and rolled in orange sugar, as well as preserved lemon crinkles, and Macanese almond cookies from my husband’s cultural tradition, which was a recipe from our friend Carolyn Phillips’ upcoming cookbook.

After the wedding, I brought the top tier of our wedding cake to my office to share with colleagues. Everyone was shocked that I didn’t put the top tier in the freezer to eat on our one-year anniversary. I told them I have the recipe and can bake a fresh cake anytime.

I still bake this olive oil cake from time to time, but in the regular cake size, not the 4-tiered wedding cake version. Note that this recipe makes a tall single layer cake using a 9-inch springform pan. I made this olive oil cake last weekend when my vegetarian cooking group gathered to cook a Palestinian meal. I topped the cake with a pile of bright pink dahlias for as a reminder of my wedding cake topped with peonies, ranunculus & anenomes.

The changes I have made to the original recipe are to swap oatmilk for milk & cream in both the cake and the frosting. My version still has eggs and brown butter. I did not make the cake completely vegan because I didn’t want to ruin the magic of brown butter. I also don’t mind eggs in a cake from time to time. Feel free to make the cake completely plant based if you wish.

When you’re in Pasadena, stop by Little Flower and grab a slice of olive oil cake, or anything from the bakery case. The bakery has been an active community supporter after the Altadena fire earlier this year so they are a good local business to support. Sending love and strength to all of those who lost their homes in the fire, including our friends who hosted our wedding in their gorgeous, historic home.

Note: make sure you have a flavorful orange for the juice and zest. You can alternatively use tangerines if they are available.

My Olive Oil Wedding Cake

This cake is decadently moist and impressively tall, baked in a springform pan. The brown butter buttercream is hauntingly delicious with pretty flecks of brown butter scattered through the frosting.

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Ingredients

  

For the Cake

• 2 cups (240g) all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 cup oatmilk
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange or tangerine juice
• 1 tablespoon orange or tangerine zest

For the Brown Butter Buttercream

• 1/2 cup butter
• 210g powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons oatmilk

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Instructions

 

For the Cake

• Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a 9-inch round, 3-inch tall springform pan with parchment paper. Coat with nonstick spray.
• Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs on medium speed. Stream in the olive oil and continue whisking until the mixture thickens slightly, 2-3 minutes. Stream in the oatmilk and orange juice. Mix until just combined. Add the orange zest.
• Add the dry ingredients on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl to ensure everything incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake until the cake begins to dome, about 25-30 minutes. Rotate the pan continue to bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Meanwhile, make the brown butter buttercream.

For the Brown Butter Buttercream

• Place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the butter until it foams and milk solids fall to the bottom of the pot. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom so that the milk solids brown evenly without burning. Let the butter foam a second time. The brown butter should have a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and cool.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the brown butter on medium speed. Add powdered sugar and continue to cream until fluffy. Scrape the bowl well.
• Add salt, vanilla, and oatmilk. Mix until fully incorporated and buttercream is light and fluffy. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

For the Assembly

• Cool cake at least 2 hours before unmolding from the springform pan. Arrange on a serving plate. Frost with the brown butter buttercream using a knife or offset spatula.