Almond Orange Cake (Gluten Free)

This cake is so fluffy, filled with orange and the almonds make it so tender and moist. It is a simple recipe to mix together and a very delicious tea cake recipe to bake.

It is Gluten Free Day apparently and I thought it only fitting share this tea cake recipe that I absolutely LOVE. Firstly, I am partial to this recipe as I love anything orange and almond, secondly, my mums sister aka my aunty (hello aunty Catherine) had brought a similar tasting cake to my house when I was a kid – which was made by one of her Spanish friends and I LOVED IT, there were a few cakes she had brought and a couple of them stood out, this being one. Thirdly, almond in cakes is so good because it keeps releasing its oils into the cake keeping it fresh of days! Now that I have convinced you lets get to it.

What is Almond orange cake?

There are many variations of this recipe, some sue whole orange, some only the zest while some use both the zest and the juice (we will be doing this today). It is a simple tea cake recipe that is served with a light dusting of icing sugar. The cake is gets its light and fluffy texture from the eggs and the almond flour. Many recipes call for extract and I prefer leaving it out but if you have access to amaretto then use that instead.

What ingredients do you need to make this almond orange cake?

Wet ingredients –

Eggs, orange juice, olive oil, almond extract/amaretto and vanilla. This cake can be make eggless with flaxseed eggs but it will not be light and airy, it will be dense and still very delicious. If you don’t have olive oil use any neutral oil or melted butter too.

Dry ingredients –

Almond flour (duh), baking powder, salt, sugar and orange zest. I have sued almond that I blended into a powder but almond meal or almond powder would work well. You can use any nut flour you like but then this wont be an almond orange cake anymore. You could also use 1 tbsp of cornflour or gluten free flour mix to make this cake a little more firm, but I prefer it without. I have used castor sugar to make this recipe, you can use granulated sugar or any white sugar you have. The orange zest is a must as it adds so much orange flavor. We also need flaked almonds and Demerara sugar for the top – this is optional but I think it adds a yummy crunch to the cake.

What equipment do you need to make this almond orange cake?

We need a couple of mixing bowls, whisk, rubber spatula, zester, knife and chopping board. I have baked this cake in an 8 inch round tin lined with baking paper. If you bake the cake in a larger tin it will bake faster and if you bake it in a smaller tin it will take longer meaning the top might get a little urned so you would need to adjust the baking temperature to 10-20 deg lower.

How to make this almond orange cake?

We start by preheat the oven to 180℃, line an 8 inch round tin with a little olive oil and baking paper, set aside. In one bowl we add the sugar and orange zest, rub this together with your fingers until the sugar is a pale orange color. Crack the eggs and separate the whites in another bowl and the add the yolks into the bowl with the sugar. Mix the egg yolks into the sugar well. Add the vanilla and almond extract and mix again. Add the almond flour, salt and baking powder, mix until combined. Add the orange juice, olive oil and mix again. Now whisk the eggs until they have doubled in volume and have stiff peaks, I used a whisk but you can use an electric beater for this step. Add the egg yolk batter into the egg whites and fold together, gently. Transfer to the prepared tin and top with flaked almonds, Demerara sugar. Bake for 35-40 mins until the top golden, it has rise and the tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Serving and storing this almond orange cake?

I would recommend serving this cake warm or cold – it works either way. A light dusting of icing sugar is great or you could serve it with warm custard as well. A delicious vanilla whipped cream is a yummy addition too. It pairs well with tea, coffee or anything to be honest. I love it as a tea cake but it is also a snack cake and a dessert cake and a breakfast cake, you feel me?

Check out my blog on some of my favourite Gluten free recipes that I posted yesterday here. Now that we have covered how to make this Almond orange cake (gluten free), you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.