Description
A moist and flavorful flourless whole orange cake made by boiling whole oranges and blending them with almond meal, eggs, and sugar. This gluten-free cake has a rich citrus aroma and a tender crumb, perfect for a natural, sweet treat without flour.
Ingredients
Scale
Whole Orange Cake Ingredients
- 2 medium whole oranges, with rind on
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups white sugar
- 2 3/4 cups almond meal (ground almonds)
Instructions
- Boil Oranges: Place the whole oranges in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and boil the oranges for 10 minutes. Drain the water afterward.
- Repeat Boiling: Return the oranges to the pot, cover with cold water again, and boil for another 10 minutes. Drain, and repeat this boiling process one more time, for a total of three 10-minute boils. Alternatively, boil for 40 minutes continuously without draining, making sure to monitor the water level.
- Prepare Oranges: Rinse the boiled oranges and allow them to cool slightly to handle. Slice into 1 cm (1/4 inch) thick slices and dice, removing any seeds. Let the diced oranges cool completely.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F) or 140°C (fan). Grease and line a 23 cm (9 inch) cake pan with baking or parchment paper for easy removal.
- Puree Oranges: Place the diced oranges into a food processor and blitz in 4 bursts of 10 seconds each on high speed. Scrape down the sides in between bursts. The mixture should look like marmalade with only a few bits of rind remaining and does not need to be completely smooth.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the almond meal, eggs, baking powder, and sugar into the food processor with the orange puree. Blitz for 5 to 10 seconds on high until all ingredients are well combined into a batter.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until the surface is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. To help with removal and to avoid sticking, cover the surface with a sheet of baking paper unless using a loose base pan.
- Serve: Decorate as desired with fresh orange slices, strips of orange rind, sprigs of flowers, or a dusting of powdered sugar. Slice and serve to enjoy this delicious flourless orange cake.
Notes
- Make sure eggs are at room temperature to help the batter mix smoothly and rise better.
- The boiling step is essential to soften the orange rind and remove bitterness.
- Almond meal gives the cake its moist texture and nuttiness, making it gluten-free.
- If you prefer a shortcut, boiling the oranges once for 40 minutes without draining is acceptable, but keep an eye on water level to prevent burning.
- Properly lining the cake pan with parchment paper ensures easier cake removal despite the sticky batter.
- Using a food processor for the batter helps achieve even blending and texture consistency.
- This cake pairs well with light toppings such as whipped cream, powdered sugar, or fresh fruit for added freshness and presentation.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: flourless orange cake, almond orange cake, gluten free cake, citrus cake, whole orange cake
