Ultimate gluten free – A Flourless Orange Cake made with whole oranges and no fat. It’s rich with almonds, incredibly moist and utterly delicious drizzled with Honeyed Raspberry Coulis.
This post uses Affiliate links from which I may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I also earn from qualifying purchases. Commission earned is at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting this blog.
DON’T LOSE THIS RECIPE… PIN Flourless Orange Cake FOR LATER…
A Flourless Orange Cake – naturally gluten free and dairy free
This Flourless Orange Cake is amazing. Not only is it naturally gluten free, but it contains no butter or oil (so is naturally dairy free), is incredibly moist and it tastes FANTASTIC!
So, what the heck is it made of? Well… fundamentally, it is made with almonds, egg, sugar and (of course) oranges… WHOLE oranges… Yes that’s right… ALL of the orange, including the skin! Yet it isn’t bitter. In fact, it remains for me, one of the best cakes ever…
Originally a Passover Cake
To be fair, this is not a new recipe. Indeed, it has quite probably been around for centuries.
It is in fact, a classic Passover cake, which draws on the Sephardic Jewish traditions of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Morocco. Made popular by the esteemed Jewish cook and author Claudia Roden however, the Flourless Orange Cake has become iconic in its own right.
The Jewish relationship with Oranges
The ancient Jews had a special relationship with oranges and citrus. Indeed, you can probably thank them for the oranges and lemons that you buy today. For the Jewish community has been actively cultivating citrus for thousands of years. By the 13th Century, they had cultivated what we now recognise as oranges and lemons… Shortly after this, both they and the Arabs began trading them across Europe.
With citrus being so central to Jewish Sephardic agriculture, it is unsurprising that oranges also became an important ingredient in their cooking. Whether preserved, poached in syrup, paired with meats and spices, or used in baked goods, they have survived the Jewish culinary tradition into modern day cuisine.
This Flourless Orange Cake may indeed have changed very little over the centuries.
A recipe for Flourless Orange Cake
There are many recipes for Flourless Orange Cake on the internet. All are roughly equivalent to each other, with only slight variations in ratios of ingredients and tweaks on whether oranges, clementines or other citrus fruit are used.
The recipe shared here is fractionally adapted from Claudia Roden’s Orange and Almond Cake from “A New Book of Middle Eastern Food”. I used one less egg (mainly because the eggs I use are large) and added a Honeyed Raspberry Coulis both for colour and flavour contrast. The result is a perfectly balanced, perfectly textured bake which is elevated to something incredibly beautiful and worthy of the most decadent of tables (as a Passover cake or not).
The perfect cake for Coeliacs
Many of you will have already tried an orange cake recipe like this one. But for those who haven’t, I beg you to make it. It is THE bake which renders flour and fat irrelevant in cake… And makes you wonder why you throw away orange skins. It is indeed heaven on a plate for Coeliacs and dairy-avoider’s.
Apart from the addition of sugar (which can be forgiven in dessert), it is also amazingly healthy. The high almond content may not be cheap, but it makes for an unexpectedly nutritious bake which may even have some added health benefits, including lowering your cholesterol levels. As cake goes, this one may be pretty good for you…
Which Oranges to use in Flourless Orange Cake
Flourless Orange Cake is not fussy when it comes to variety. So, you can use any type of orange to make it… And even vary with an equivalent ‘weight’ of clementines or tangerines.
The cake made here used Navel oranges. They were super sweet and beautifully juicy, giving it a deep, sun-sweet oranginess that was full of summer warmth. Set against the rich moistness of the ground almonds, the cake has a pleasantly-dense nutty texture and flavour which gives it more substance. Yet it is not over-sweet. The slight bitterness that comes from the pulped orange skin is offset by the sweetness of sugar. But the added sugar too is well-balanced, in complementary harmony with the natural fruit sugar, so that orange still remains the star of the show.
Decorating Flourless Orange Cake
Flourless Orange Cake needs no lavish frostings. In fact, I would go so far as to say avoid anything creamy and fat-based at all costs. Frostings and buttercreams will only smother the vibrance of colour, texture and flavour and the pure simplicity of citrus that is its core.
On the other hand, straight out of the oven, this is not the prettiest of cakes… Dusted with a layer of icing sugar, it looks okay… But I wanted something more eye-catching… A Flourless Orange Cake that was distinct and beautiful, but in keeping with its unadulterated naturalness…
So, while you can eat the cake fresh baked and ‘naked’, the addition of a simple Honeyed Raspberry Coulis not only enhances the visual attraction, but also harmoniously unites with the flavours of the sponge.
The result? A blissful cake which will not only turn heads, but will remain memorable for a very long time.
Ready to make Flourless Orange Cake?
Are YOU ready to make a flourless orange cake? This really is one you can’t miss… But when you make it, please let me know you have found the recipe here and let me know what you think. Leave a comment, rate the recipe and tag me on social media (links at the top). While you’re there, why not give me a follow? Or subscribe to the newsletter (subscription box below). That way you won’t miss any updates.
Orange Season
Oranges are at their best in the Autumn when they are just harvested and super-juicy. At Gluten Free Alchemist we love using them… If you love them too, I can recommend these recipes :
For everything else, head over to our Gluten Free Recipe Index. Happy Cooking
Flourless Orange Cake with Honeyed Raspberry Coulis
Key equipment
- large saucepan
- sharp knife
- Oven
- 9 inch/23 cm round spring-form cake tin
- Small saucepan
- sieve
Ingredients
Flourless Orange Cake
- 2 oranges any, but Navel work well.
- 6 eggs or I used 5 UK large
- 250 g golden caster sugar
- 250 g ground almonds
- 1 tsp GF baking powder
- extra sugar for sprinkling
Honeyed Raspberry Coulis
- 120 g fresh raspberries
- 50 g runny honey
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- raspberries for decoration optional
Instructions
Flourless Orange Cake
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil.
- Wash the oranges and place whole into the boiling water.
- Boil for 2 hours until soft and then drain and set aside to cool.
- Once the oranges have cooled to room temperature, remove the ‘stalky’ bit from the end and cut into quarters.
- Remove any pips and then liquidise the orange (including the skin) in a food processor so that you have a smooth, even purée.
- Preheat the oven to 190 C (170 Fan)/375 F/Gas 5.
- Lightly oil the inside of a 23 cm/9 inch springform round baking tin and then base-line with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the caster sugar until well combined and airy.
- Add the baking powder and ground almonds and mix well.
- Add and mix in the orange puree.
- Pour the batter into the cake tin and smooth the top. Lightly sprinkle a little extra caster sugar across the top.
- Bake for about 1 hour until the cake is set, the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out 'just' clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely in the tin, before transferring directly from the tin to a serving plate.
Raspberry Coulis
- Place the raspberries and honey into a small saucepan and heat over a low to medium setting.
- Bring to a simmer, crushing the raspberries against the wall of the pan and allow to cook, stirring for a few minutes until the raspberries are nicely pulped.
- Remove from the heat and force the coulis through a fine sieve (using the back of a spoon) to remove the pips and fibre so that you have a smooth sauce.
- Add a tablespoon of maple syrup and stir through.
- Drizzle over the cake and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Flourless Orange Cake shared with:
- Cook Blog Share with Lost In Food
- Fiesta Friday #354 with Angie and Spades, Spatulas and Spoons
- Full Plate Thursday #510 with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
- What’s For Dinner #288 with The Lazy Gastronome
Previously shared with – Love Cake with Ness at Jibber Jabber.
Best. Cake. Ever! ♥️ Thank you!
Thank you! You are most welcome. So glad you loved it xxx
Made this yesterday for the first time – and took it to a dinner party. It was a big hit! also, technically easy to make – I’m not a great baker but the directions were easy to follow and it came out perfectly. Tastes even better today since the raspberry sauce has soaked in. I was afraid it would be mushy day 2, but it’s still wonderful. I confess to having had a slice for breakfast.
Fabulous! That’s so great to hear Sarah. It’s a lovely cake and perfect for a dinner party, because it is so beautiful too.
Thank you so much for leaving a comment and for the feedback xx
I made your flourless orange cake with honeyed raspberry coulis for the first time. Needless to say it will definitely not be the last. It was so easy to make and my guests all happily gobbled it up, complimenting me on my cooking skills – although that’s lovely to hear the praise has to go to you for all the hard work that you put in to give us such wonderful recipes. Thankyou so much. You have reignited my love for cooking
Hey! That’s great. Thank you SO much for letting me know. I am so pleased that you enjoyed the recipe. If the guests are happy, you know you’ve done a good job.
And credit where credit’s due… I may create the recipes, but the skill is always in the execution! So well done YOU xxx
As usual you have come up with a winner. My bookclub, with a rotating group of readers who host dinner for the members, is almost impossible to cook for. There is one vegetarian member, one gluten free member, and one dairy free member…it’s a nightmare. This is the perfect dessert. Pinned for when we can meet in person again. Thank you for bringing this stunning dessert to Fiesta Friday.
😁😁 Fabulous! Thank you Helen… I hope you enjoy making and sharing it xx
And let’s hope the opportunity to get together with friends again comes SOON! x
Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday,510 this week. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you for hosting Helen. xx
A wonderful combination of flavours and such a versatile cake.
Thank you Janice. It’s a favourite here x
OMG! I need a piece of that cake!! It’s gorgeous! Thanks for sharing at the what’s for dinner party. I hope you’re enjoying your weekend.
Thank you so much Helen. It was rather delicious x
This looks absolutely delicious. I love the idea of the combination of orange, honey and raspberries.
Thank you Joanna. I have a bit of an obsession for raspberries. But yes… the combination with the orange and honey is divine x
Such a pretty looking cake. I love flourless cakes as they are so moist.
Thank you Beth. Absolutely…. The almonds in this cake give it such a wonderful texture xx
This looks fabulous and the topping sounds heavenly!
#cookblogshare
Thank you Helen x
Ooh and another stunner cake. I love these sorts of almond cakes and those raspberries have turned it into something quite spectacular – or perhaps it was you that did that 😉
I've tried this cake many times at Cake Club but I've never made it myself. I love the fact that all the ingredients are very simple without any special or hard to find ingredients involved. I always have ground almonds in the cupboards. I find the budget supermarkets are much cheaper for them than the 'big four'!
It really is amazingly simple isn't it? I buy my almonds in bulk (2 kg at a time), which helps to bring the cost down! I haven't checked out the budget supermarkets…… I will have to look to see how they compare!
That looks amazing – I do love this flourless cake, one of the very first recipes on my blog that I must update. Yours is so beautiful, I love the addition of raspberries on top (and there's my favourite Sainsbury's platter too) – thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare
Thank you Lucy. I think the raspberries are such a beautiful contrast to the orange!
The platter is fab isn't it? The perfect size and flatness….. with a lovely simple pattern too!
Utterly beautiful – I bet this was so tasty. Fascinated by what you say about cholesterol and almonds/healthy eating. I think I'm going to have to work a little harder on reducing mine. Thanks so much for joining in with #Bakeoftheweek new roundup open now x
Thank you Helen. I have to say I was pretty surprised about the cholesterol reducing properties of almonds….. but hey…. if it works!!!
Oh I definitely believe you, this looks sooo good! I love your photography too!
Thank you Alida. Some food is definitely more photogenic!
Oh wow this cake looks amazing! I so want this right now.
Thank you Heather. It was so so good!
this is absolutely one of my favourite cakes ever. I make it with mandarins and also sometimes a whole citrus medley… it's a very christmas cake as I think the whole house smells so festive when those oranges are boiling… yours looks stunning!
Thanks Dom. It's interesting to hear you have tried it with other citrus….I wondered whether it would work with limes added…. There is something amazing about the combination of orange and lime….. Maybe I will have to give it a try!
Wow this looks amazing! I love the flavours and the photos are gorgeous.
Thank you Kat. It is amazing how vibrant natural-coloured bakes can be. And there are certain colours which always do the photos justice!
You are seriously driving me crazy with your delicious recipes and gorgeous photos!!! I want to eat it!!!!! I do love a whole orange cake…you are right, nothing beats it!
You are seriously driving me crazy with your delicious recipes and gorgeous photos!!! I want to eat it!!!!! I do love a whole orange cake…you are right, nothing beats it!
Sorry Vicki! It must be so hard for you right now…. Stick with your diet…. I'm sure you will feel so much better for it!
And thank you for your kind comments. It always helps to know that what I am doing is well received!
This is one of my favourites cakes. I make it every few months, its so moist and fresh. I've also made it chocolate orange by adding 50g cocoa in place of some of ground almonds. I most recently made it with ground cardamom too which was delicious with the orange. I need to bake and blog about that one again as it was eaten too fast.
It's fab isn't it? I would have been very surprised if it wasn't a regular in your oven! I love the sound of an orange-cardamom version…… Delicious!