Harvest Grape & Olive Oil Cake
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This lovely Italian-style cake is studded with juicy red grapes and flavored with hints of vanilla and citrus.
Studded with juicy red grapes and subtly flavored with vanilla and citrus, this Italian-style cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack. It’s equally wonderful as a dessert with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. Traditionally called a “harvest cake,” it’s made during grape harvest season to use up smaller grapes that aren’t destined for pressing. More practically, it’s a great way to use up grapes that are slightly past their prime—think soft or tough-skinned.
This cake has the richness of a classic Italian olive oil cake without being overwhelmed by the olive oil flavor. It’s perfectly balanced with a blend of butter and olive oil, making it extra moist and giving it more depth than your typical butter cake. It keeps beautifully for days and is the kind of cake you leave on the counter, only to watch disappear one sliver at a time. (Hint: If you’re a fan of my French apple cake, plum cake, or strawberry cake, you’ll love this one too.)
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Harvest Grape & Olive Oil Cake
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the cake, giving it structure. Always measure flour using the spoon-and-level method to ensure accuracy.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the cake and balances the sweetness.
- Baking powder: Helps the cake rise, making it light and fluffy.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add richness to the batter.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness to the cake—some goes in the batter, and the rest is sprinkled on top for a sweet, slightly crunchy finish.
- Milk: Provides moisture and helps the cake achieve its tender crumb.
- Olive oil: Adds a subtle richness and keeps the cake moist without overpowering the flavor.
- Unsalted butter: A blend of butter and olive oil gives the cake an extra layer of richness and flavor.
- Lemon zest & orange zest: Brightens up the flavor with a touch of citrusy zing.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and depth to the overall flavor.
- Red grapes: The juicy, sweet stars of the cake—make sure they’re seedless for the best texture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and 2/3 cup of the sugar until pale yellow. Add the milk, olive oil, melted butter, lemon zest, orange zest and vanilla.
Beat until well combined, then add the dry ingredients.
Using a rubber spatula, stir in 1-1/2 cups of the grapes.
Transfer the batter the the prepared pan. Then top with the remaining grapes and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Bake for about 50 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden and a tester comes out clean.
Let the cake cool on a rack for about 15 minutes, then unfasten the latch on the side of the pan and gently ease the side of the pan off of the cake. Let cool on a rack completely. Serve the cake as a breakfast, brunch or afternoon snack, or top it with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream for an elegant dessert.
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Harvest Grape & Olive Oil Cake
This lovely Italian-style cake is studded with juicy red grapes and flavored with hints of vanilla and citrus.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
- ⅓ cup milk (low fat is fine)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, from one lemon
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, from one orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups seedless red grapes, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray with flour, such as Pam Baking or Baker's Joy. (If you don't have a springform pan, it's fine to use a 9-inch nonstick cake pan. For extra insurance that the cake will release, spray the pan, then place a 9-inch round of parchment paper on the bottom and spray again.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs with ⅔ cup of the sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about a minute. Add the milk, olive oil, melted butter, lemon zest, orange zest and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in 1½ cups of the grapes. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Scatter the remaining grapes evenly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly over top. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the cake is lightly golden and a tester comes out clean. Cool the cake for about 15 minutes on a rack.
- Slide a butter knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Unfasten the latch on the side of the pan and gently ease the side of the pan off of the cake. Slide a wide metal spatula between the bottom of the cake and the pan, lift the cake off the base and transfer to a serving plate. (If you used a regular nonstick cake pan, simply invert the cake onto a plate and flip over.)
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place a freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Calories: 211
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Sugar: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 144 mg
- Cholesterol: 42 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Made this cake for dinner with out-of-town friends, and it was a huge hit. The citrus flavor comes through, without being overpowering, and it complements the sweetness of the grapes. I followed the instructions exactly, and the cake came out perfectly.
Made this cake to use up some grapes, so delicious, just turned out of the tin so easily, will definitely be baking this again!
A wonderful delicious moist cake. So easy. I’ve been enjoying it with my morning coffee❤️
I’ve been searching for an Olive Oil Fig/Pepper /Lemon cake recipe for years! I think this is as close as I will get, cannot wait to make it. Do you think I can sub Figs for grapes – I was planning on using Fig Butter (as this was in the Italian cake I had) – and add Lemon Zest…..
Sure, Jane, figs should work here. Hope you enjoy!
I am a regular baker and always on the hunt for easy but unique, at least to me, recipes to wow my family and friends. This grape cake by far exceeds the definition of an easy, successful every time, tasty with great texture cake. And my success wasn’t a first time fluke, I have made this over and over again with the same result which is key for me. I can depend on this recipe. I don’t tweak recipes until I have made them exactly as stated in the original recipe. I have not changed any thing but I did switch out the regular olive oil for orange flavored olive oil which made a small difference in flavor, this was a choice not a necessity.
We are really bad at eating fruit so I’m always scrolling through the internet trying to find new ways to use it up. As soon as I saw this intriguing recipe I knew this is what I would make with my near death grapes. What a unique and delicious bread! I’m already making plans for the next time I make it, I will be using a smaller pan to account for me gobbling half the batter straight from the mixing bowl 🙂 don’t skip the zest here… it really works so well and brings such a great flavor to the mix. I’m a self proclaimed junk food junkie; if you aren’t you’ll probably love the flavor this bread delivers while maintaining a very mild sweetness. But my sweet tooth is loud….I concocted a powdered sugar glaze with orange & rosemary to drizzle over the bread and it is on another level!