This Gluten-Free Whole Orange Flourless Almond Cake Recipe will wow you with its pure orange and warm almond flavor with a twist of orange blossom.
Gluten-Free Whole Orange Flourless Almond Cake
Whole Orange Cake? Are You Nuts?
There is no doubt that the first bite of this ‘whole orange’ cake recipe, is all about the oranges, right down to its garnish!
You’d think that using the whole orange, including the orange rinds, would create bitterness?
Nope, that might be true of lemon, grapefruit or lime, but not this orange sweetie!
Think about how sweet and luscious Orange Marmalade is, and you are already thinking about this cake, filled with healthy ingredients.
This Orange Almond Cake Is Beautifully Moist
Yep, this ‘sort of’ healthy recipe is all about fresh oranges, ground almonds, and eggs.
A moist cake, without oil or butter, gets its moist texture from the almond meal, the natural oils in orange zest and the fat in the yolks of eggs.
When it comes to a flourless orange almond cake, you’ll find no better simple cake recipe than this one!
So Easy To Make You’ll Ask The Kids To Whip Up This Flourless Orange Cake Recipe!
If your kids are old enough to operate your food processor, or use a hand held electric mixer, then consider this cake ‘kid friendly’ to make.
Much of this easy recipe preparation, happens in the push of a button on your food processor.
Important Tips For An Organic Orange Cake
As this cake requires the entire orange, pulp, zest, juice and all, please be certain to use organic oranges.
There’s no telling what type of wax might be on the rinds of an orange that is not organic.
How can you tell if your orange is waxed?
If natural and organic, it will have a rather dull skin and not a shiny one, ie wax.
What Makes This Gluten-Free Cake So Fluffy?
Basically, when you use lots of eggs in a cake, egg whites whipped separately and egg yolks whisked with sugar, the cake has impressive substance.
Often times, when making a cake with regular flour, it can make for a thick cake batter.
Gluten-free baking, using almond flour instead, creates a lovely rustic texture while the crushed almonds add flavor, natural oil and sweetness.
Looking For Extra Delicious Orange Flavor In This Healthy Orange Cake?
Absolutely! You can use a favorite orange extract to kick up the orange flavor but my choice is often Orange Blossom Water.
Certainly a heavenly smell and flavor is obtained with orange blossom, but a little orange booze can be used also!
The Best Recipe For A Dairy-Free Cake
How about no milk, no cream, butter or creamy anything in a fabulously healthy cake indulgence?
The moisture in this cake comes from simmering 3 whole oranges, cut into chunks, for 5 minutes, cool, drain and puree the orange pieces.
The natural oil in the orange rind adds to the moisture of this delicious cake.
Aren’t You Glad Seasonal Recipes Exclude Oranges!
That said, we can make this gluten-free orange cake recipe anytime of year, simply because oranges are available all year long.
For an additional gluten-free orange cake, using oats instead of almond flour, you might enjoy my Coconut Orange cake.
Oh sure, when seasonal fruits come into market, we have our favorite recipes for them.
I know I am always anxious for strawberry season, or the onset of pumpkin or fig season, but oranges make us feel a splash of sunshine in any season.
How To Make The Perfect Gluten-Free Flourless Orange Cake
A few whole oranges, chopped and barely covered with water, get simmered for 5 minutes just to soften the skins.
Scoop the oranges out from the water bath and save the orange water to add sugar and boil for a glaze.
That is, should you choose to pour a glaze on top the finished cake.
Have A Cool Glass Of Orange Juice As We Are Halfway Through The Cake Preparation!
While the oranges cool, whip the egg whites to light and fluffy in one bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy.
Grind nuts to a flour, if you didn’t buy almond flour.
Combine these four steps together, transfer to a spring-form pan and bake to perfection.
A little crunch on the outside, and very moist on the inside.
And don’t forget a little whimsical orange garnish on top!
How Long Will Gluten-Free Orange Flourless Almond Cake Last?
When it comes to time sensitive ingredients for a cake, this cake provides more time than most.
Since there isn’t any cream based ingredients, you won’t have to worry about a cake that easily gets moldy.
The three primary ingredients in this cake, eggs, almonds and oranges, are all ingredients that will hold up well in the fridge for nearly ten days.
Another option is to cut the cake in half, wrap and freeze half for a later date.
When ready; thaw, drizzle with glaze and you’ve got a ‘ready-to-go’ dessert when time is short.
Orange Garnish For A Special Occasion Orange Cake
Of course, you can ice this cake, maybe put fresh fruit on the cake, but why not stick with the beauty of oranges and use their peels, candied.
Easy enough, orange peels get sliced into long strips, twisted around a skewer to make thin twisted ribbons.
Followed by a glaze in a pan with a little sugar to put a kind of candy coating on the orange rinds.
Finally, and simply, slide the orange ribbons off the skewers and placed on top the cake.
A dollop of mascarpone, plant based cream cheese or a dollop of your favorite whipped cream.
Ingredients Needed
- Oranges
- Eggs
- Nuts – Any favorite nut
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Confectioners sugar
- Orange liquor or orange blossom
Equipment Needed
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon or slotted spoon
- Saucepan
- 10-inch Springform pan or Removable bottom cake tins
- Sifter
- Food processor or blender
- Skewers (optional for garnish)
- Stovetop or burner
- Oven
Gluten-Free Orange Flourless Almond Cake
Equipment
- Springform Pan or Removable bottom cake tin
- Food processor or blender
- Skewers making garnish
Ingredients
- 3 Oranges orange slices or small chunks
- 6 Eggs room temperature, separated
- 2 cups Almond flour or nuts ground
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Powdered sugar for orange glaze
- 1/2 tsp Orange liquor or orange blossom water
- 1/2 cup Cold water
- 1 Orange (optional garnish) Orange peels
- 1 tbsp Caster sugar (optional garnish)
- 1/2 cup Mascarpone or plant based cream cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 350. Cut 2 strips of parchment paper, 3"x16"
- Prepare the cake pan with a rub of olive oil and place the parchment paper strips (top to bottom and side to side), for easy removal of the cake.
- In a large saucepan, place the orange pieces and enough water to barely cover the oranges. Simmer, covered, for 5-minutes. Scoop the oranges pieces out into a food processor or blender to cool and reserve the liquid in the pot for the glaze. Puree the oranges, pulp, juice, skin and all.
- Separate the eggs. In one medium size mixing bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the egg yolks and sugar and whisk until a light creamy color forms. Add the orange puree, almond flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until creamy. Fold in the whipped egg whites.
- Transfer the cake mixture to the prepared pan, and bake until cake is firm, about 50-minutes. Cool completely before removing.
- While the cake is cooking, boil down the orange juice liquid in the pan until it is reduced by half. Cool.
- Whisk the cooled orange juice, powdered sugar and orange liquor until well blended.
- Remove the cake from the pan and onto a serving dish. Drizzle the glaze slowly across the cake, allowing it to soak in.
- Optional Fancy Garnish: For a lovely garnish, cut thin strips of orange rinds, twirl tightly around a skewer and let sit 30 minutes (can be done in advance). Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar in a pan, slide the orange rinds off the skewer and gently toss them in the sugar over a medium heat until the sugar melts and glazes the rinds. Set aside and serve on top of the cake slices over a dollop of mascarpone or plant based cream cheese.
Video
Notes
- This cake is delicious with or without a glaze but to elevate its presentation you could also melt a little chocolate and drizzle it over the cake after it has baked and cooled.
- A second option for presentation would be to glaze the cake and then dust with coconut.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.