This dairy free and eggless Pistachio Olive Oil Cake is prepared with good quality olive oil and real pistachio nuts. It is moist, rich and nutty - perfect as it is or can be served warm with eggless vanilla ice cream.
What Readers Say:
This cake was perfectly sweet, nutty, and rich, and the addition of the edible flowers really brought out the orange! I followed @jcookingodyssey’s delicious recipe for vegan pistachio olive oil cake and my whole family loved it! I added my own twist with the edible flowers 🌺 because I didn’t have enough pistachios for topping the cake 🙊 I also didn’t turn the cake upside down because it was easier for me to transport it in the pan it baked in, and it still tasted great!
Annasvegannonsense
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade and when life gives you olive oil... you make olive oil cake.
I first tried pistachio olive oil cake at a restaurant because I absolutely love anything pistachio and anything cake. I was sold from the first bite so I dragged my Mum back to the same restaurant so that she could try it too!
We thought about making an eggless version at home and played about with the recipe. In the end, we settled on a completely vegan and dairy-free cake as it ended up being so much lighter with a delicate crumb, just like this Vegan Mango and Coconut Loaf Cake.
I made this cake for my brother's birthday and it went down a treat! A generous amount of pistachios, good quality olive oil and polenta make this cake extra special.
It turned out just how we wanted. Just don't limit yourselves to serve this nutty cake only for birthdays, mother's day or father's day, I think it would be perfect for an afternoon tea or morning coffee as well.
Pistachios in desserts are just something otherworldly! They're fabulous in this pistachio halwa and saffron pistachio shortbread.
FAQs
For olive oil cake, you'll need mild or light extra virgin olive oil, but if you don't mind strong overpowering flavours in the cake then you can use the stronger flavoured olive oil, which I used.
Use instant fine polenta and gluten-free plain flour that is easily available in the market.
No, you'll need normal raw pistachio for this recipe, with or without skin doesn't matter.
Usually, this cake is served as it is, but you could try a lemon icing sugar glaze once the cake is cooled.
Ingredients in vegan pistachio olive oil cake
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
Because the main ingredients of this cake are pistachio, olive oil, we will start with them.
If you are trying this cake for first time, try to use light or extra light extra virgin olive oil. The flavour is less intense.
You will need fine polenta aka maize flour too, and in India, you can use makki ka atta.
Use unsalted and unroasted pistachios as the salted variety will be far too salty.
So, now we have all the main three ingredients out of the way, let's talk about how to make this cake vegan.
I have used flax eggs - the flax egg is the perfect natural vegan egg replacer. It's inexpensive and works great in any baking recipes. To make flax egg at home, you will just need flax seeds, grind it in a coffee blender and use 1 tablespoon + 3 tablespoon water when recipes require 1 egg. Leave the mix for at least 15 minutes and then add in your wet ingredients.
Next on the list is milk, and we used rice milk but you can use almond, hazelnut, soy or oat milk. All that's left is sugar, plain flour (all purpose flour), orange or lemon zest and good quality baking powder.
Serving suggestions
This cake tastes so delicious on its own even when it is cold, but you can serve it warm with ice cream, sorbet or any poached fruit such as apricot, strawberries or rhubarb.
I loved it with espresso or this coconut milk coffee.
Other vegan or eggless baking recipes
Vegan peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can't wait to see you all there!
Vegan Pistachio Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 200 gram unsalted pistachio
- 200 millilitres extra virgin olive oil
- 125 gram fine polenta
- 75 gram plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoon flax seeds 3 tablespoon flax seed powder + 9 tablespoon water mix and leave it for 15 minutes
- 200 gram caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest
- 60 millilitres vegan milk 60-80ml
Topping
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 30 millilitres orange juice
- slivered pistachio
- pinch salt
Instructions
- First mix flax seeds powder and water and leave it aside for 15 minutes to make flax egg.
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 180C or 350F.
- Grease a 20cm/7″ cake tin with extra virgin olive oil.
- Add pistachio nuts into food processor and grind till you get finely crushed pistachio.
- In one bowl, mix the crushed pistachio, polenta, plain flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt.
- In another bowl, mix olive oil, caster sugar and flax eggs and 60ml milk.
- Then add dry ingredients and mix gently, if you need to, then add more milk.
- Pour the cake mixture into the greased cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool on a wire cake.
Topping
- In a bowl, mix sugar and orange juice, and heat in the M/W until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour it over the cake, then garnish the cake with pistachio slivers or crushed pistachios.
- Serve with ice cream, sorbet or poached fruit.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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Sujata Roy says
Cake looks delicious and beautiful. I think you don’t need any icing over it. Already looking pretty. Yesterday I also baked a cake with olive oil and very happy with the taste. Superb share Jagruti.
Eileen says
I love the flavors in this cake! You have given the best instructions and have so much info for alternatives so everyone will enjoy this cake
Jenni LeBaron says
Yum! I've had olive oil cakes, but not one like this before. It looks spectacular and I bet it smells really lovely, especially with the bit of orange zest in this.
Tammy says
I tried an olive oil cake for the first time this year and it was absolutely delicious! I love your pistachio version. This looks beautiful 🙂
Nicolas Hortense says
This is so new and inspiring to me! The fact that you made it vegan too is just awesome!
veenaazmanov says
I love polenta based cakes. This sounds so delicious. The golden color is so pretty. Pistachio is one of my favorite nuts. Can't wait to try this. Yum.!
Lata Lala says
I have never tried olive oil for bakes yet. Yours look delicious.
Ashima says
Polenta for making cakes 🙂 wow! This is the first recipe I have come across for polenta cakes and just yesterday I saw polenta chips at a place.. I guess I need to start cooking with polenta soon especially when I live in polenta country 🙂
Your cake looks delicious and moist! Can't wait to try it!
Kiki Johnson says
I have a thing for nut cakes and I like them dense just like this one! On top of that pistachios are my favourite nut so this is just perfect!
Ashley says
I have yet to try my hand at making an olive oil cake at home. Yours looks delicious, and I love the garnishes. Pistachio is one of my favorite ingredients - this would be a perfect way to end a meal!
Anne says
This sounds like such an interesting cake! I'm going to give this one a try!
Kelly says
I've never made an olive cake! Actually, I've never even baked with olive oil before! It's def on my list to try one of these days 🙂
Priya says
This cake is just beautiful and seems like a perfect treat..can't wait to try this flavor..
jcookingodyssey says
Thank you Elaine! Please do try it, you won't be disappointed.
Elaine says
This cake looks so pretty and delicious! I have been putting olive oil in my baking for a few years now but haven't made a pistachio cake!! I can't wait to try your recipe!