Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A dense, moist olive oil cake with pumpkin puree and warm spices. Brown sugar dissolves into fruity olive oil, giving an earthy sweetness. Pumpkin pie spice swapped for cinnamon cardamom mix to freshen the notes. Maple glaze with brown butter twist adds caramel depth. Baking in a springform traps moisture; parchment stops crust sticking but watch drip on pan. Bake time flexible; toothpick moist but not wet is key. Cooling at least 30 mins before glaze; glaze sets with tiny crust for contrast. Olive oil substitutes: avocado or grapeseed if extra fruity harsh. Brown sugar can be swapped half white for less molasses, textured crumb difference. Watch mixing: overwork gluten and cake stiff; fold gently. Visual queues more reliable than timer alone.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
42 min
Total:
62 min
Servings:
8 servings
#pumpkin
#olive oil
#brown butter
#glaze
#autumn baking
Pumpkin and olive oil, an odd couple that’s wowed me since trial one. The oil cuts through pumpkin heaviness, giving moistness without greasiness or overshadowing autumn spices. Learned patience on mixing and baking, how sugar dissolves into oil, how pumpkin pie spice can tread overboard. Maple glaze, not just drizzle but double-layer ritual, layers caramel notes and shine. Baking at slightly lower temp means deep aroma without burnt edges. Cooling in pan first saves cake integrity; rushing leads to cracks and falls. The trick? Visual signals, slight wobble, cracked shiny top, toothpick crumb clutch, aroma of toasted spice and maple. My kitchen smells like fall every time.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and browned
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
About the ingredients
Olive oil is vital here for flavor and texture, but if your bottle is pungent or bitter, substitute with avocado oil for milder fruitiness or neutral grapeseed. Brown sugar’s moisture level varies by brand and storage—if dry, cake crumb becomes tight. Adjust by adding a splash extra pumpkin or a teaspoon of milk. Pumpkin puree must be unsweetened canned—fresh pumpkin will add more water and change bake time. Pumpkin pie spice replaced by cinnamon and ground cardamom; clove is powerful and lingers, so avoid unless you love heavy spice. Baking powder and soda balance acidity—using too much soda leads to metallic aftertaste. Vanilla is non-negotiable, use real extract for depth. Powdered sugar in glaze must be sifted if lumpy. Butter for glaze browned not just melted or glaze will lack caramel complexity. Use parchment under springform base to prevent crust sticking and tearing cake bottom on release. Riming baking sheet prevents oven mess from dripping glaze or batter escape.
Method
Cake
- Oven at 345°F since this batter browns fast. Grease 9-inch springform with shortening; line base with parchment. Place pan on baking sheet to catch drips. Flour mix first: sieve together flour, cinnamon, cardamom, baking powder, salt, baking soda. Dry thoroughly combined, no lumps, air in. In larger bowl, beat brown sugar and olive oil—about 2-3 minutes until sugar visibly dissolves, mixture slick, amber, almost glossy. Important to dissolve sugar or gritty bits spoil crumb.
- Add pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla; whisk to just smooth. Avoid overbeating eggs or mix turns airy, bakes dense and dry. Fold dry components gently but fully mixed; slight streaks okay, don't obsess over perfect blend. Pour batter into pan; should hold shape but pourable, thick, satiny. Smooth surface but don’t tap pan—air bubbles welcome for texture.
- Bake for 38-45 minutes depending on your oven’s hot spots. Rotate pan and sheet pan after about 20 minutes to avoid uneven crust darkening. Cake should spring back slightly, and toothpick inserted near center comes out with moist crumbs, never wet batter. Surface cracks if overbaked; pull early if so. Let cool in pan 25-30 minutes; pulling springform early wrecks cake. When loosened, transfer to rack to fully cool before glazing.
Glaze
- Brown butter by melting unsalted butter over medium, swirling until nutty aroma, light golden brown bits form—watch carefully, can burn fast. Mix brown butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla in bowl; whisk until silky, lump free with loose but spreadable texture. Put cake on wire rack over foil or parchment—glaze drips.
- Ladle half glaze over cake evenly; wait 3-4 minutes until mostly set but tacky. Second layer seals shine and adds depth. Allow full glaze set before slicing or glaze runs. Clean edges with damp paper towel if needed.
Tips & tweaks
- Olive oil gives fruity base but can overpower; swap avocado oil for mellower tone. Pumpkin pie spice had too much clove flavor last batch so cinnamon/cardamom here is cleaner, sharper. Brown sugar must be packed well for right sweetness and moisture. If no springform, use regular pan lined in sides and parchment at bottom but loosening cake gets trickier.
- If batter feels too stiff, a tablespoon extra pumpkin or a splash milk helps. Overmixing means dense, tight crumb—fold dry ingredients gently and stop once no flour visible. If you want crunch, sprinkle chopped pecans atop before baking but be warned it shifts bake time. To test doneness visually, sleek surface with tiny dry cracks around edges, no wobble in center. Cool completely before glazing or glaze melts into cake.
- Storage: wrapped tightly at room temp 3 days max; refrigeration toughens crumb. Reheat slices gently to bring back moistness. Leftover glaze saves well refrigerated, can thin with warm water for drizzle over pancakes or oatmeal.
- Listening for oven sounds—gentle crackle or pop means sugar caramelizing correctly; silent means too low heat or moisture trapped. Aromas evolve from sweet brown sugar to toasted spice to maple butter once glazed. Texture: soft crumb with slight elasticity, moist but not wet—gives mouthfeel balance. Visual cues beat timers every time, learn cake’s look over precise minutes.
Cooking tips
Start by preheating to slightly under usual temp—345°F ensures caramelization happens without burning. Grease springform thoroughly by using shortening, which prevents stick better than oil spray. Sift dry ingredients separately for even distribution; no lumps means no unwanted airs in batter and consistent rise. Brown sugar and olive oil need at least 2-3 minutes mixing to dissolve sugar, smooth texture is key to avoid gritty mouthfeel. Add pumpkin, eggs, vanilla next but don’t overwhip—air too much and structure collapses during baking. Fold dry ingredients in gently—overmixing develops gluten, making cake chewy. Pour batter into prepared pan without agitating surface, no taps to keep air bubbles intact; bounce of batter from spoon signals right thickness. Bake 38-45 mins; start checking 5 mins earlier for your oven quirks. Rotation halfway through keeps even bake, prevents one side overdone. Toothpick test crucial: moistened crumbs sticking but not raw wet batter means done. Cool 30 mins in pan—jumping this leads to cracks or sinking center. When cool, release springform carefully; cake soft but set. Brown butter glaze: melt butter swirling until nut bits appear and aroma pops—watch close or burns. Whisk with maple syrup, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla till slightly thick but pourable. Drizzle half glaze, pause 3-4 mins to set to tacky, then second coat seals shine and flavor. Lay cake on rack to catch drips. Let set fully before slicing else messy edges. If glaze too thick, thin with pinch warm water. Kitchen notes: glaze residue easiest cleanup shortly after glazing using damp cloth.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Measure flour correctly - spoon and level. Too much sacks cake, dense too tight crumb. Brown sugar packed not loose. Mixing sugar and olive oil 2-3 mins till slick amber, amber shine means sugar melting right; gritty bits wreck crumb. Folding dry ingredients without overmixing. Look for streaks, minor lumps ok. Cake batter thick but pourable, don’t tap pan—air bubbles add texture.
- 💡 Brown butter needs close watch, swirl constantly medium heat till golden nut bits pop aroma—not just melted. Burns fast. Glaze must be silky, lump-free, maybe thin with small splash warm water if too thick. Pour half, wait 3-4 mins till tacky, then second coat seals shine and adds texture contrast. Parchment under springform base to stop crust sticking and ripping.
- 💡 Oven temp lowish 345°F to avoid burnt edges—watch crust color, cracks mean pull early. Rotate pan half bake to fix hot spots. Toothpick test crucial—moist crumbs no wet batter means done. Visual checks beat timer here. Rest cake 25-30 mins in pan. Early unmolding wrecks crumb and shape. Cooling fully before glazing prevents melting glaze into cake.
- 💡 Pumpkin pie spice replaced with cinnamon cardamom for cleaner sharp notes; clove too heavy. Brown sugar moisture varies by brand—dry sugar tight crumb, add splash pumpkin or teaspoon milk to fix. Olive oil can overpower if cheap or harsh—swap avocado or grapeseed oil for milder or neutral. Butter for glaze browned not melted—complex caramel flavor depends on that step.
- 💡 Fold carefully to avoid gluten overdevelopment—dense stiff cake means overmixing happened. For crunch, toasted pecans add texture but shift bake time. Leftover glaze stores refrigerated but thickens; whisk warm water for drizzle later on pancakes or oatmeal. Cool cake near room temp in pan to avoid sweating or drying out, unmold gentle. Double glaze layering adds contrast with sticky crusted top.
Common questions
How to tell cake done?
Toothpick test best—sticky crumbs not wet, visual cues like slight spring back and no wobble center. Cracks mean overbaked. Listen for oven crackle, pop means sugar caramelizing right. Look for even color, no burnt spots.
Can I substitute oils?
Yes avocado or grapeseed work better if olive oil tastes odd or harsh. Avocado milder fruity. Grapeseed neutral. Avoid vegetable oil, changes crumb and flavor. Use fresh olive oil, rancid ruins. Adjust slightly for liquid differences if swapping.
What if glaze too thick?
Add small splash warm water, whisk smooth. Too thick doesn’t spread evenly; too thin runs off cake. Glaze sets tacky 3-4 mins before second pour seals it. Brown butter important for flavor, skip melting butter or glaze loses complexity.
How to store leftover cake?
Wrap tight room temp 2-3 days max; refrigeration toughens crumb fast. Reheat gently in toaster oven to recapture moistness. Glaze leftover lasts refrigerated, thins with water for other uses. Cake dries if left open or too long. Always double wrap if fridge.
