This almond meal orange cake contains no flour and is super simple to make. Gluten-free baking can be quite tricky at the best of times but as we have said before success often lies not in tricky substitutions but in simple recipes that were supposed to be that way in the first place.
Some form of cake made with oranges and almonds appears in many traditional repertoires. Not because of its gluten-free credentials but because these are the local ingredients at hand. And, where you find almonds, you tend to find oranges.
With more in common with frangipane than your standard sponge, this cake does behave slightly differently. So let’s explore the recipe before getting stuck in.
Orange and Almond Cake Ingredients
We made a few decisions along the way with this recipe, which we will explore as we go. You do have the option of ignoring them and sticking with a more classic style.
This cake is soaked in syrup, much in keeping with the Greek “portakalopita”. We chose to do this because as almond meal is essentially wholemeal, it can be more solid than a cake made with ground almonds. Even with the syrup, this cake is more orangey than sugary sweet.
So, what do you need?
Almond Meal
The key ingredient in this cake is almond meal. Many orange and almond cake recipes use ground almonds which does behave slightly differently.
Are almond flour, almond meal and ground almonds all the same thing?
Not quite! While almond flour, almond meal, and ground almonds all come from almonds, there are a few key differences between them.
Almond flour is typically made from blanched almonds (with the skins removed) and has a fine, powdery texture. Almond meal, on the other hand, is made from whole almonds (skins included), giving it a coarser texture. Ground almonds have a similar texture to almond meal, but do not include the skin, so although it has a coarser texture they are lighter too.
As almond meal contains a much higher proportion of fibre it is more absorbent and can therefore require more liquid. It can be slightly misleading as it takes time to take up the liquid and swell. One minute you have a perfectly normal batter and before you know it (usually too late) it has become completely solid.
Read our article about healthy baking with almond meal
Oranges
The oranges in this cake are used whole. Not only do they need to be boiled to soften them, but they need to be boiled in several changes of water. Some recipes out there use juice and zest only but this is not that. Other recipes use whole, boiled oranges, which is closer but not the whole story.
Why is my orange cake bitter?
Making an orange cake with whole, boiled oranges is the only way to get that deep orangey flavour and moist texture that it is known for. But if you simply boil the oranges it is going to be really bitter. The trick is to boil the oranges three times, each with a change of fresh cold water. This gives a deep orange marmaladey taste but without the overriding bitterness.
Because you are going to use the oranges whole, choose seedless oranges. These are generally medium-sized. There’s no need to weigh them; it’s a very forgiving cake.
Olive Oil
Olive oil helps to keep the cake moist and adds an extra element of sunshine flavour. It is a natural pairing alongside oranges and almonds. Feel free to use extra virgin oil for its deep colour and bright flavour. In many olive-producing countries, families produce their own olive oil and it is always what we would term extra virgin.
Sugar
Use white caster sugar. Although further down the line you could experiment with alternatives, now is certainly not the time. At this point, you want the neutral reliability of white sugar.
You will also need (although not absolutely essential) icing sugar for dusting.
A word about syrup
If you choose to use syrup on your cake, again it calls for caster sugar. You will need to make it ahead of time as the rule is cold syrup, warm cake.
Baking Powder
Simply helps give it a little lift. Too much and it will bring in all that bitterness that you have worked so hard to eliminate.
Eggs
As we mentioned before this cake bears more similarity to frangipane than sponge so eggs are fairly crucial. Size large.
Apricot Jam
Our cake has a glaze and a filling of apricot jam. The cheaper sugary stuff is ideal for making a glaze.
Flaked Almonds
A scatter of toasted flaked almonds after glazing gives a nice polished finish and a little extra texture.
Almond Meal Orange Cake Equipment
This gluten-free orange cake is pretty low key so you won’t need much in the way of equipment.
Electric Whisk
Whilst an electric whisk is not vital, it does help to get a bit of air into the mix. A hand-held electric whisk is such an inexpensive piece of kit that it is the most useful piece of baking equipment you can own.
Processor or Blender
You can chop your cooked oranges to a pulp using a large knife, but you will get a smoother puree (with far less effort) if you have a machine to help.
Cake Tins
The best thing for this recipe is a 23cm springform tin. But two sandwich tins would work just fine. That way you can make two smaller cakes, or double them up to make one big cake like the one in our picture.
Parchment Paper
However non-stick your tins are, you will need to grease and line them for this recipe.
Saucepans
You will need a small saucepan to make your glaze, and another saucepan to make your syrup. Both of these will need to cool so theoretically you could use the same pan.
You will need a larger saucepan in which to boil your oranges.
Silicone Brush
A pastry brush is useful for spreading your glaze. The old-fashioned kind made of bristles is fine but they do have a tendency to shed their hair.
Recipe for Almond Meal Orange Cake
If using syrup you will need to make it several hours in advance. The glaze does need to cool slightly but you can make it once the cake is out of the oven.
Ingredients
For the syrup
350ml orange juice
350g sugar
For the cake
3 seedless oranges, medium
4 large eggs
175g caster sugar
100ml olive oil
2 tsp baking powder
For the glaze
200g apricot jam
juice of half an orange
For the garnish
50g flaked almonds
icing sugar for dusting
Method
- Put the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, skim off any foam that forms on the surface, and simmer for a few minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
- Preheat your oven to 160C and place the shelf in the lower middle half. Grease and line your tin(s) with parchment paper.
- Place the oranges in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes and drain. Do this two more times.
- Slice the ends from the oranges (to remove the knobbly bits) and place them in the processor bowl. Blitz to a smooth puree and cool slightly.
- Add the sugar and eggs to a mixing bowl and whisk together until fluffy.
- Beat in the olive oil and then the orange puree.
- Fold in the almond meal, with the baking powder.
- Pour into the prepared tin(s) and bake in the centre of the oven for about 50 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.
- Leave the cake in the tin and pour over the cooled syrup. Leave aside to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, put the apricot jam in a small saucepan and add the orange juice. Bring to a boil, stirring to get rid of any lumps. Boil for a few moments until it looks sticky and reduced. Set aside to cool.
- Carefully remove the cooled cake(s) from the tin(s). This is where a springform tin comes in handy. Brush the glaze all over (and in between if you want to sandwich two layers together).
- Scatter with the flaked almonds and finish with a dusting of icing sugar.
Ta-dah! A perfectly moist and moreish gluten-free cake.
Why not explore our other healthy baking ingredients and read some of our other healthy baking articles?
This article was reproduced on this site with permission from operafoods.com.au the “Baking Ingredients Wholesaler”.
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