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An orange and almond cake on a white cake stand with a slice being taken out of it
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5 from 6 votes

Orange and Almond Cake (Gluten & Dairy Free)

A moist and zesty flourless orange and almond cake, topped with a sweet and creamy icing.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, British, European
Keyword Almond, Baking, Cake, Dairy-free, gluten-free, Low FODMAP, Orange
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cooling time: 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 480kcal

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.