A Blood Orange & Honey Skillet Cake for February Love Notes
This cake is bright, tender, fragrant, and deeply romantic – a perfect mix of winter citrus and farmhouse coziness. It’s the kind of dessert you bake for someone you adore… or simply to treat yourself with a little sweetness, because you’re worth it!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup almond flour (optional but recommended for tenderness)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Wet Ingredients:
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ¾ cup whole milk or dairy-free milk
- ¼ cup honey
- Zest of 1 blood orange
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Skillet Citrus Topping:
- 2 blood oranges, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of flaky sea salt
Instructions
1. Prep your skillet & citrus
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Brush a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (or cake pan) with olive oil.
In a small bowl, gently toss the blood orange slices with honey, 1 tbsp olive oil, and a pinch of flaky salt.
Arrange the slices in a single layer on the bottom of your skillet; this becomes your gorgeous top once flipped.
2. Make the cake batter
In a large bowl, whisk together:
flour, almond flour (if using), sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk: olive oil, eggs, milk, honey, citrus zest, and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix until smooth but don’t overmix.
3. Bake
Pour batter into your citrus-lined skillet.
Bake for 35–42 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Flip for the magic moment
Cool for 10 minutes.
Run a knife around the edges, place a plate over the skillet, and flip carefully.
Lift the skillet to reveal glossy, honey-caramelized citrus hearts on top.
5. Finish + serve
Drizzle with honey, dust with powdered sugar, or garnish with fresh mint or edible flowers.
Serve warm or room temperature as both are divine.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve slices with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla yogurt.
- Add an extra drizzle of local honey for a Farmers-Market touch.
- Pair with hot tea infused with lemon and rosemary.
- Beautiful as a “sweetheart treat” for your friends, family & team members!
Optional Sweetheart Add-On
Before baking, you can cut the blood orange slices into tiny heart shapes using a small cookie cutter for extra sweetheart charm.
Market Basket Pairings:
From orchard to oven, field to skillet: these Market Basket Pairings highlight the vendors whose seasonal ingredients inspire this month’s recipe.
Find everything you need for this recipe at your local farmers market.
- Olive Oil – Aficio 22
- Honey – Klausesbees
DOWNLOAD THE RECIPE