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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nice simple cake that can be served anytime! I sprinkled the top with coarse sparkling sugar that gave the top a little crunch.
Happy to report we’ve finally made this cake after looking at it in the binder for the last 2 summers! (We don’t make cake often in the hot months and when we do, people usually request your plum cake instead, hence the postponement!)
Really liked how easy it was to make (no creaming the butter 🙂
Didn’t have oranges on hand, but it was still nicely zesty – looked very similar to the recipe pictures! The grapes cooked nicely – someone thought they tasted like cherries at first.
Thanks again Jenn, your cakes are the best for texture, taste and style 🙂
Looking forward to making it with the orange zest next time.
I love the flavor and creativity of this cake, and the juices that come from the grapes are sooo good. The only bummer is that the cake is somewhat dry. I took it out at 45 minutes and I wish I would have checked it sooner. Or maybe added more butter or something. I never mind extra butter 🙂
Overall really good, I’ll definitely try it again but check it sooner next time.
Hi Jenn,
I have tons of manderin oranges. Could I use them in place of grapes?
Sure, I think that would work. Please LMK how it turns out!
I am making the cake for a luncheon tomorrow… How can I store it so it stays fresh and moist.
Hi Marianne, I think I’m weighing too late to help, but for future reference, you can store it covered on the counter. Hope it came out nicely!
Yum!!! I used 1/3 whole wheat and 2/3 AP flour, oat milk, and added 1 tsp gingerbread spice. Came out amazing 😍
I made this cake today and it’s delicious! Served it with lemon curd that I folded into whipped cream. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Came out exactly like the picture! It was absolutely delicious and moist! My family and I (2 teenagers & husband) gobbled it all up for dessert with tea. I never thought you could bake with grapes. Thank you!
Can I use 1/2 and 1/2
Sure, that should work. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Always love your recipes and this is one I really want to try. Maybe a silly question, but I usually buy green grapes. Will it make a difference if I use green and not red, other than visual appeal?
So glad you enjoy the recipes, Alison – perfectly fine to use green grapes!
What a surprise this cake was. I had grapes in the fridge, going nowhere fast, and did a search for grape desserts. When this came up I couldn’t believe it. I have never heard of a grape cake! I am vegan and so is my household, so I subbed flax ‘eggs,’ oat milk, and cashew vegan butter, and it turned out great. Once it was cooled it was quickly devoured. Today the groceries came in — with grapes — specifically so I would make this beautiful cake again. Thank you! It’s a new favorite.