Orange almond cake
This orange almond cake uses no flour and no butter: whole oranges are boiled until soft, then blended with eggs, sugar and almond flour. The crumb is moist and dense, almost like a pudding, with a bold orange flavor and a pleasant hint of bitterness from the peel, and it is naturally gluten-free.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 3 hr
- Rising or chilling
- 1 hr
- Total time
- 4 hr 20 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Boiled oranges
Cake batter
Instructions
Step 1
Wash 360 g oranges, put them whole in a pot, cover with water and simmer over medium heat for about two hours, topping up with hot water as it boils down. The long simmer makes the peel very soft and less bitter, so you can blend the whole fruit, peel and all. The oranges are ready when a chopstick slides through them as easily as through soft butter.
Step 2
Lift the oranges out and let them cool, cut them in half and remove the seeds, then put the peel and flesh in a blender and blend until completely smooth. The seeds are very bitter, while the finely blended peel gives the cake its signature fragrance. The puree is ready when it is a thick, smooth, bright orange paste with no pieces of peel left.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 170°C, line the bottom of a 22 cm springform pan with parchment paper and brush the sides lightly with oil. The cake is very moist and has no flour to hold its structure, so the parchment keeps the bottom from sticking. The pan is ready when the paper lies flat and fits the base snugly.
Step 4
Whisk 300 g eggs with 220 g superfine sugar for about two minutes, then add the orange puree and stir well. This cake does not need much whipping; the eggs and sugar just need to dissolve into each other. The mixture is ready when the sugar has dissolved and the color is an even orange.
Step 5
Mix 250 g almond flour with 5 g baking powder, add it to the bowl and stir with a spatula until fully combined. The almond flour completely replaces wheat flour, giving the cake both its structure and its nutty richness. The batter is ready when it is thick, smooth and uniform, with no dry pockets.
Step 6
Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top with a spatula and tap the pan gently on the counter twice. A level surface helps the cake bake evenly from the edges to the center. This step is done when the batter is evenly spread and no large air bubbles rise to the top.
Step 7
Bake at 170°C for about 55 to 65 minutes; if the top is getting dark after 40 minutes, lay a sheet of foil over it. With so much sugar and almond, the crust browns easily before the center is cooked. The cake is done when the top is golden brown, the center no longer wobbles and a skewer comes out slightly moist but with no wet batter.
Step 8
Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a rack for about an hour before removing the ring. Without gluten the cake is very tender while hot, and it only firms up once fully cool. The cake is ready when the edges stand firm without slumping as you release the pan.
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Blender
- Oven
- Springform pan
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Kitchen scale
- Parchment paper
Tips
- Choose thin-skinned oranges such as Vietnamese king oranges or navels so the cake is less bitter; if your oranges have thick peel, change the boiling water once after about an hour.
- You can boil and blend the oranges a day ahead and keep the puree in the fridge to save time.
- The cake is lovely with Greek yogurt or a little unsweetened whipped cream.
Storage
This cake grows moister and more flavorful the day after baking. Wrap it well and keep it at room temperature for one day, or in the fridge for up to five days; it also freezes for up to a month.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The cake tastes harshly bitter.
- The oranges were not boiled long enough, or some seeds were left in when blending. Boil them until the peel is truly soft, remove every seed and choose thin-skinned oranges.
- The center of the cake sinks and is still wet.
- The center is not cooked through. Bake for ten more minutes with foil over the top, then test again with a skewer right in the middle.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
