A melt in your mouth, zesty sponge topped with a creamy orange icing. This gluten-free orange and almond cake is incredibly moist, with a subtle hint of nuttiness and plenty of that deliciously sweet yet tangy orange flavour. To make this sunny little cake there are just a few simple steps, with no fiddly piping or decorating.
An easy free from recipe
You’d never know it, but this cake is gluten-free/flourless, dairy-free AND low FODMAP at a single serving size (when cutting into 10 slices). The perfect recipe if you’re baking for a tricky crowd!
Why use ground almonds in a cake?
Ground almonds (aka almond meal) are a brilliant baking ingredient! They bring a unique richness and due to the oil content of the nuts, create a cake that is far more moist than anything you’d get with ordinary flour. The resulting soft, almost squidgy texture fits perfectly with that juicy orange taste. Using only ground almonds in this recipe, rather than combining them with any flour, means you get a lovely nutty flavour as well.
Can I make my own ground almonds?
If you can’t find ground almonds in the supermarket, flaked almonds may be easier to get hold of. These can simply be blitzed in a food processor to create your own equivalent. It’s best not to grind up whole almonds unless the skins have been removed.
A triple orange hit
This gluten-free orange and almond cake features orange zest, juice AND extract to ensure every bite is packed with sweet citrus flavour.
Turn it into an orange and almond LAYER cake
The recipe can easily be adapted to create a two layer cake with icing sandwiched in the centre as well as spread on the top. Simply double up the quantities of both the cake and icing, and split the cake mixture between two 20cm/8″ tins.
Storing the cake
This will keep well in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The beauty of orange and almond cake is that it actually becomes even more moist over time!
Cake fan? You might also like to try:
- Apple and Cinnamon Cake
- Nutella Filled Cupcakes
- Lemon Layer Cake
- White Chocolate & Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes
If you give this easy recipe a go, be sure to let us know how you got on by leaving a comment and rating below! You can also tag us in your best baking snaps on Instagram @BlueSkyEating. Enjoy! 🙂
Orange and Almond Cake (Gluten & Dairy Free)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 180 g dairy-free baking spread (or butter)
- 120 g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 225 g ground almonds (almond meal)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- 1 tsp orange extract
- 50 g maple syrup
For the icing:
- 100 g dairy-free baking spread (or butter)
- 200 g icing sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 3 tbsp juice from an orange
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Extra orange zest (for topping the cake, optional)
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan
- Grease and line a 20cm/8" cake tin
- Add the sugar and dairy-free spread to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on a medium speed until pale and fluffy (about 4 minutes). This could also be done with an electric whisk or by hand.
- Measure out the ground almonds.
- Crack one of the eggs into the bowl and follow with a tbsp of the ground almonds (this will help to stop the mixture from curdling). Mix until combined. Repeat this process with the remaining two eggs.
- Add all of the remaining cake ingredients to the bowl and mix on a low speed until just combined.
- Pour the mixture into the lined tin and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. If the cake starts to become too browned on the top (check after 20 minutes), cover the tin loosely with foil.
- Once baked, transfer the cake to a cooling rack and leave for at least an hour before icing.
To make the icing:
- Add the dairy-free spread to the bowl of an electric mixer. Gradually sieve in the icing sugar, mixing until combined after each addition. You could also use an electric whisk.
- Add the vanilla extract, orange zest and juice. Mix until combined.
- Check the consistency of the icing. It should be thick enough to spread on top of the cake without dripping down the sides. If too runny, add more icing sugar. If too firm, add some dairy-free milk 1 tsp at a time.
- Once the cake is cooled, spread the icing on top. If desired, grate a little more orange zest on top for decoration.
Please note that nutritional information is based on estimated quantities and therefore not always 100% accurate.
This cake was so amazing! Love the triple orange hit!
Love this recipe! Can’t wait to make this for my Christmas gathering!
I love citrussy cakes! Being dairy free makes this so easy to turn vegan with an egg substitute 😀
This looks heavenly! Orange and almond sounds like a delicious combo.
Oh…all that orange flavor is divine. Awesomely tasty cake!
yum this is one of my favorites!