• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Sprinkles and Sprouts

Great food with grocery store ingredients

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • By Category
  • Chicken
  • Pasta
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • By Category
    • Chicken
    • Pasta
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • ×
    Home > Meal Type > Baking

    Flourless Orange and Almond Cake (GF)

    Updated: Dec 29th 2022 • Published: Nov 21st 2018 • 13 Comments

    Jump to Recipe SaveSaved!
    overhead shot showing all of the toppings on the cake with text at the top
    split picture showing a slice of the cake and an overhead shot with text tin the middle

    This Flourless Orange and Almond Cake is the easiest and most delicious cake ever! It uses a whole orange and almond meal/almond flour, which keep it moist as well as making it gluten free and dairy free.

    The cake is simple to make, so moist without the need to drench it in syrup and will keep for up to a week. Plus with my easy decorating tricks you'll have a Best Orange Cake ever.

    a long thin cake on a wooden board garnished with slices of orange, almonds and purple flowers

    Jump Menu

    • How to make gluten free orange cake.
    • You use a whole orange?
    • Flourless? So what do you use?
    • How to decorate an orange and almond cake
    • Flourless Orange and Almond Cake

    How to make gluten free orange cake.

    This really is the easiest cake ever:

    • Cook the orange in boiling water
    • Blitz the orange in the food processor
    • Add the eggs and mix briefly
    • Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor
    • Bake
    • Optional decorating!

    That is all there is to it. It takes some time because the orange cooks for an hour and then the cake takes 50 minutes, but I often cook the orange before bed and then make the cake the following day.

    2 pictures showing a slice of orange cake on a plate

    You use a whole orange?

    Yes, cooking the orange in boiling water until it is soft and then you can use the whole orange! Skin, pith and flesh. The only thing you need to remove is any pips. But to be honest I am not that fastidious about it. I just have a look as I gently break the orange into a few pieces. 

    Cooking the orange takes around an hour, but it makes your house smell amazing! And the resulting pulp is what makes this orange cake so delicious and moist. You can cook them for 15 minutes in your pressure cooker if you have one.

    6 small pictures showing the prices of cooking the orange for the orange cake

    Flourless? So what do you use?

    Instead of flour this cake is made with almond meal (also called ground almonds or almond flour). It works fabulously to make a soft moist cake.

    You can buy almond meal/ground almonds in the grocery store, or you can buy almonds and grind them down yourself in the food processor. It takes a while, but keep a close eye on it, otherwise you could end up with almond butter!!!!

    Is this a light and fluffy cake?

    No, this isn't light and fluffy, it is a denser moist cake. Think syrup soaked pound cake rather than sponge cake. It is perfect for eating with a fork at the end of the meal. I like to serve it with some fresh whipped cream. And if I am feeling like something a bit different I add a drop or two of rosemary essential oil to the cream. So delicious with the cake!

    However, when I cooked this the other day I didn't have any cream and I have to admit it didn't need the added calories. So serve this naked or with a dollop of cream. Both will be delicious!

    close up showing the dense moist texture of the orange and almond cake

    How to decorate an orange and almond cake

    The possibilities are endless here!!!!! I like to scatter chopped almonds over the top and then arrange a few slices of orange and some edible flowers on it. It looks beautiful.

    BUT

    You can leave this plain or top it with any of the following:

    • Shaved chocolate
    • Candied lemon slices
    • Drizzled with melted chocolate
    • Dusted with icing sugar
    • Piled with fresh blueberrys
    • Grated lemon and lime zest
    • Topped with a thin layer of cream cheese icing
    close up on the decorations on the gluten free orange and almond cake

    Enjoy x

    RECIPE NEWSLETTER

    Signup and get my FREE soup cookbook.

    By clicking submit, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

    Sure overhead photo showing the toppings on the orange cake
    Print Recipe
    5 from 7 votes

    Flourless Orange and Almond Cake

    This Flourless Orange and Almond Cake is the easiest and most delicious cake EVER! It uses a whole orange and almond meal, which keep it moist as well as making it gluten free and dairy free. The cake is simple to make, so moist without the need to drench it in syrup and will keep for up to a week. Plus with my easy decorating tricks you'll have a Best Orange Cake ever.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time1 hr 50 mins
    Total Time1 hr 55 mins
    Course: Cake
    Cuisine: Modern Australian
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 200kcal
    Author: Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts
    For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout
    Need Metric Measurements?Use the options below to toggle between cups and grams (if relevant)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Grams
    • 1 orange
    • 3 eggs
    • â…” cup brown sugar
    • 1 ¼ cups almond meal - See note 1
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder - See note 2

    To Decorate: (also see note 3 for more options)

    • 1 orange - sliced
    • ¼ cup raw almonds - chopped
    • edible small flowers such as violas or lemon myrtle - Optional

    Instructions

    • Put the orange in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour, topping the water up if needed.
    • Remove the orange from the water and let it cool.
    • Whilst the orange is cooling pre-heat the oven to 340ºF/170ºC.
    • Butter and line a 9" x 5"(23cm x13cm) loaf pan.
    • Break the unpeeled orange into the food processor, removing any pips as you go.
    • Blitz the orange until you have a rough pulp. Push the sides down and give it another whizz.
    • Add the eggs to the orange and whizz gently to combine.
    • Add in the brown sugar, almond meal, lemon juice and baking powder and give the mixture a whizz until it is all combined.
    • Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and cover with foil.
    • Bake the cake for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 10 minutes.
    • Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.
    • To serve the cake, carefully invert it to a serving plate. Then decorate with slices of orange, chopped almonds and edible flowers.

    Notes

    1. Almond meal is also known as almond flour or ground almonds and is easy to find in the grocery store. You can buy whole almonds and grind them down yourself in the food processor. It takes a while, but keep a close eye on it, otherwise you could end up with almond butter!!!!
    2. If you are making this specifically for someone who cannot tolerate gluten then make sure your baking powder is gluten free.
    3. Alternative toppings include:
      • Shaved chocolate
      • Candied lemon slices
      • Drizzled with melted chocolate
      • Dusted with icing sugar
      • Piled with fresh blueberrys 
      • Grated lemon and lime zest
      • Topped with a thin layer of cream cheese icing
      • Or leave it plain

    Nutrition

    Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 9.4mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sprinklesandsprouts or tag #sprinklesandsprouts

    If you love food why not subscribe to my newsletter, I will drop you an email every now and then, just to say hi and send you a couple of recipes I think you might love, like this Flourless Orange and Almond Cake .

    It isn't everyday! I am not that organised. Usually it is once a week (ish). And as a thank you I will send you my soup cookbook FREE. Full of my fav soups!

    Subscribe today 🙂
    book_ad


    RECIPE NEWSLETTER

    Signup and get my FREE soup cookbook.

    By clicking submit, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

    More Baking

    • extreme close up of the choc chips in a cookie
      Subway Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • a single palmier standing up
      French Palmier Cookies
    • close up on a single orange cookie
      Orange Cookies
    • overhead close up of almond cookies on a rack
      Buttery Almond Cookies

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sue says

      January 21, 2022 at 4:15 am

      Is it ok without any butter or oil?

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        January 21, 2022 at 2:55 pm

        Hi Sue,
        Totally way, in fact more than okay. It is super moist due to the almonds and the orange pulp.
        Hope that helps Cx

        Reply
    2. Linda says

      April 08, 2020 at 1:40 pm

      5 stars
      I am about to make your orange almond cake for the first time, and have a question about the oranges used. The fruit I have at present are a little smaller than the usual hefty orange; should I use 1 and a half oranges? These are thin skinned Gisborne oranges; I live in NZ.
      Thanks for your advice.

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        April 11, 2020 at 10:53 am

        Hi Linda,
        I would definitely use more oranges then. You need roughly 7oz/190g of oranges. (I find it is about 2 satsumas/mandarins or 1 regular orange)
        If you find two small oranges is too much but one isn't enough. Boil two up but only add 1 1/2 to the mixture. The rest you could chill and mix through vanilla ice cream 🙂
        Hope that helps.
        Cx

        Reply
    3. Bec says

      September 03, 2019 at 10:22 am

      Can this cake frezze at all?

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        September 03, 2019 at 11:46 am

        Hi Bec, this cake freezes wonderfully 😀

        To freeze the cooled cake, I usually wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminium foil.
        I have kept it in the deep freeze for 3 months and it was still delicious when we defrosted and ate it.
        Hope that helps.

        Reply
    4. Claire Brown  says

      July 01, 2019 at 7:34 pm

      5 stars
      This is looking delicious. I would love to bake this for the coming occasion Thanks for sharing the recipe

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        July 02, 2019 at 4:30 pm

        You are welcome Claire, I hope you enjoy 😀

        Reply
    5. Heather Shewan says

      May 07, 2019 at 1:49 pm

      5 stars
      Best GF cake I have ever had, even my non-GF husband loved it! And so easy to make. Thank You!

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        May 08, 2019 at 11:22 am

        Oh Heather you are welcome 😀
        That is the best kind of feedback!!! Thank you.
        It is a staple in our house, I love that is stays moist for days (although it rarely lasts that long!)

        Reply
    6. megan says

      December 19, 2018 at 2:01 pm

      5 stars
      I prepared this cake yesterday, it's too tasty i liked it very much.
      Thank you so much for this cake recipe.

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        December 21, 2018 at 8:01 am

        I am so happy you enjoyed it Megan, it is such a moist cake isn't it?!

        Reply
        • megan says

          December 24, 2018 at 3:31 pm

          5 stars
          yes..

          Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    a lady stood in a white kitchen chopping a tomato

    I'm Claire and I love food!
    I dream about food and I am happiest when I am in the kitchen cooking. Whether that is dinner for my family, snacks for drinks with my girlfriends or testing new recipes for my site, the kitchen is my happy place. Sprinkles and Sprouts is where I share it all and I am so happy you are here.

    Read More →

    As featured in

    Popular

    • close up on a ladle of gravy pouring into a white gravy boat
    • square picture of a cast iron skillet of pasta
    • close up on the coriander and charred top of a sweet naan bread
    • Garlic bacon spaghetti in a large shallow grey bowl
    • Close up on roasted lemon potatoes in a white bowl

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Sprinkles
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    All content, recipes and photographs are copyrighted to Claire McEwen and are the property of Sprinkles and Sprouts.
    THEY MAY NOT BE REPUBLISHED IN PART OR WHOLE WITHOUT PERMISSION AND PROPER CREDIT.
    Contact me to see republishing and syndication rights.

    Copyright © 2020 Sprinkles and Sprouts

    Copyright © 2023 · Cravings Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in