This Gluten Free Orange Almond Flour Cake recipe, made with six healthy ingredients, is one of our favorite gluten free desserts.
Gluten Free Orange Almond Flour Cake
Every time I serve it people are shocked to find out my Orange Almond Flour Cake is made with whole oranges, peel, and all.
Almond Flour Recipes
Using the whole orange adds an incredible flavor dimension to this gluten free cake, as well as healthy bioflavonoids.
This is one of my nutritious almond flour recipes that you don’t want to miss out on.
Gluten Free Cake
Wondering how to make Orange Almond Flour Cake from scratch? All you need is whole oranges, almond flour, eggs, honey, salt, and baking soda. –that’s it!
People tell me it’s the best recipe for gluten free cake they’ve ever had!
Gluten Free Orange Almond Flour Cake
Ingredients
- 2 small oranges, 6.5 ounces each
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup honey
- 2 cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Wash the oranges and boil them whole (peel and all) for 1½ hours, or until soft
- Place whole oranges (peel and all) in a food processor and blend until smooth
- Pulse in eggs, honey, almond flour, salt, and baking soda until well combined
- Pour batter into a greased 9 inch springform pan
- Bake at 375°F for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean
- Cool in the pan for 2 hours
- Serve
Orange Cake Recipe
This easy orange cake recipe is the perfect dessert for holidays such as:
But we love it so much we make this cake all year long! My holiday guests rave about this healthy gluten free recipe.
Orange Cake
If you’ve never had orange cake you’re in for a treat.
I first came upon an orange almond cake recipe in the 1990s in one of Claudia Roden’s cookbooks, The Book of Jewish Food.
Roden is a British cookbook author, food scholar, and cultural anthropologist. She is also one of my heroes.
According to Roden, orange almond cake is a traditional Sephardic recipe commonly served at Passover.
Gluten Free Passover Dessert Recipes
This Gluten Free Orange Almond Flour Cake is perfect for Passover because it does not contain chametz.
As an aside, all of my dessert recipes are Kosher for Passover since they are free of chametz!
Whole Orange Cake Recipe
It seems weird to make a cake with whole oranges.
However, using the orange with its peel is what makes my orange cake with almond flour moist and totally unique.
Yes, as I mentioned, use the entire orange, including the peel! Make sure your oranges are fresh and sweet so the cake is fresh and flavorful.
Make Ahead Almond Flour Cake Recipes
You can make this cake recipe ahead of time, that’s what I do when we’re entertaining.
If I’m having people over for Shabbat dinner, I make the cake Wednesday, let it cool on the counter overnight, then wrap it and store it in the fridge until Friday.
Cuisinart Food Processor
You know I love getting into the kitchen to test recipes for you and enjoy sharing my favorite kitchen tools, including this food processor.
This one is not only affordable, it gets the job done quickly and easily.
Gluten Free Dairy Free Desserts
Using a good food processor blends this cake batter to perfection, making it incredibly smooth.
Still, it’s amazing this cake is so rich and melt in your mouth delicious, given the lack of butter and flour. This is a fantastic gluten free, dairy free dessert.
Chocolate Orange Cake
I’ve always wanted to smother this orange cake in my Chocolate Dairy Free Frosting recipe.
As a kid, I loved chocolate-covered orange peel, and couldn’t get enough of that flavor combo. I haven’t tried it here yet, but I imagine it would be incredible.
Almond Flour Lemon Cake
This paleo cake recipe would be incredible with lemons, though many adjustments would need to be made since lemons are smaller than oranges, not as sweet, and far more bitter.
I tested this orange cake recipe a couple of dozen times to perfect it so I’m not sure how substitutions would work in order to create a recipe for lemon cake.
I wish I had a crystal ball, it would make the process so much easier! If you do experiment with lemons leave a comment and let us know if it works.
Gluten Free Desserts
Thankfully, you really don’t need to experiment with anything, given that I have hundreds of easy recipes for gluten free desserts here on the website and in my three cookbooks!
Gluten Free Orange Cake
But back to my orange cake recipe, which has been shared over ten thousand times on social media –it’s a real deal hit!
When I serve it, everyone loves it –those with diet restrictions as well as folks who can eat anything they want.
Almond Flour Cake
My cakes with almond flour are so popular because they’re rich, dense, and full of flavor.
Almond Flour Baking
Another benefit of almond flour baking is that it’s low carb and healthy.
I love using almond flour rather than the usual high carb wheat flour, the main ingredient in most cakes.
Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
All of the easy gluten free recipes for desserts below are also dairy free cakes.
Gluten Free Coffee Cake
My homemade Gluten Free Coffee Cake is one of my favorite comfort foods. It’s also one of my most popular recipes, with over forty thousand shares on social media.
Made with a base of almond flour, plus five other ingredients, you can throw this low carb coffee cake together in no time.
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
This lightly sweetened nut free Carrot Cake recipe from scratch will blow your mind.
This is one of my favorite cakes made without almond flour.
It’s a nut free cake everyone can enjoy. If you’re allergic to nuts, be sure to check out my Nut Free Recipes page.
Gluten Free Birthday Cake
If you’re looking for a cake that’s chocolate, this family favorite Gluten Free Birthday Cake is a clear winner.
I made this easy cake recipe often when the boys were growing up. Soon they took over and made it for my birthday!
Prefer vanilla birthday cake? Check out my fan favorite Gluten Free Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Both of these gluten free cakes are nut free and made with a base of coconut flour.
Healthy Cake Recipes
I hope you love these healthy cake recipes as much as we do and that you enjoy all of my gluten free recipes!
Which of these cake recipes will you bake?
This post is an oldie but goodie from the archives. I first shared this Gluten Free Orange Almond Flour Cake in November 2008.
Mel says
It is a wonderful recipe. I decided I would try this recipe as tea cakes. First time I used 2 medium size navel oranges. Too moist. Yeild 24 tea cakes.
Yesterday tried 1 med orange, perfection. Yeild 18 tea cakes. I am assuming the amount of orange should weight no more than 1 pound, per Nigela Lawson’s website.
I did try this with 2 small lemons as well.. I added 1/3 cup poppy seeds to almond flour prior to adding to food processor. Once again perfection.Yeild 18 tea cakes. Unfortunately I added a honey glaze from another chef, which turn out more like a toffee candy coating topping. Next time I will leave well enough alone.
Elana, have to say I love your Fig Newton recipe as well. One of my all time favorites as a child. I have tried your original recipe and have also changed it up a bit for a diabetic friend. I dehydrated strawberries, and used Cary’s sugarfree maple syrup to make Strawberry Newtons. Turn out wonderful.
Thank you for your continued dedication to a healthy lifestyle.
Mel says
Oh my, failed to mention that today I decided to try the lemon and orange again, without the glaze I used in prior attempt. I don’t know if anyone had any falling center in their cakes as they cooled. I did, sooo I did a bit of investigation, and Nigela, uses baking powder, not baking soda. As well, she stated on her blog that there is gluten free baking powder. Went to my local Whole Foods, and sure enough there is a Hain Brand as well as Dr. Oetker. Grabbed the Hain, and what do you know, no sinking in the middle of my lovely tea cakes. While the little lovelies were baking, I went on line and found a sub for gluten free baking powder, which is far less expensive than what I purchased. 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, to 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda(baking soda). Will have to try that next time. By the way baking these as tea cakes in a nordicware 12 square space pan, was 10 minutes, then rotate pan, and bake an additional 10 minutes. 20 minutes to heavenly goodness. Great recipe Elana.
Elana says
Mel, thanks for your comments! I’m so glad this was heavenly goodness :-)
marlene says
Hi Elana
It sounds like a great recipe!
Have you, or has anyone you know (of), ever made this with lemons instead of oranges? Can hardly wait to find out!… Of not, i will soon give it a try (and report back)…
Elana says
Thanks Marlene!
Courtney says
Thanks for a great recipe… I made cupcakes from this recipe for my son’s 2nd bday. And used a basic paleo choc frosting recipe from coconut oil, organic cocoa & organic raw honey. Really yummy. My non paleo guests were impressed. Thanks again.
Elana says
Courtney, happy birthday to your son! I’m so happy to be part of the celebration via this recipe. Glad to hear it was really yummy :-)
Tori Lorvig says
I made this cake on a Sunday for a dinner invite, which was cancelled. It sat in the fridge until Saturday morning when I used it for a bake sale-and it was still good. I think some cranberries would go really well with the spicy orange flavor.
Elana says
Thanks Tori!
Elana Wilkins says
I better clear up I”m not “The” Elana! Ha! I made this tonight with some changes. I did not boil the oranges. I used 1 large orange and 3 clementines. I used the peel and discarded some of the white area because I didnt want any bitterness. I put the peel and oranges in my vitamix and blended it together. I then added 1/4 honey and 1/2 cup Lakanto all natural zero glycemic sweetener ( sold on amazon) it bakes exactly like sugar yet there is NO spike in blood sugar and zero calories. I also added 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Added the other ingredients as listed and baked in a 9 inch square pan that was greased and floured with almond flour. I baked this for 50 minutes and cut into 16 squares. It baked perfectly. It turned out a dense cake that is just delicious. I like mine with a small dollop of whipped cream or a person could use whipped coconut cream. Excellent recipe. Thanks!!
Elana says
Hi Elana! I’m so happy to hear this was excellent :-)
Eva says
So I made this tonight and it was FABULOUS. I was worried it was going to be a bit better because of all the orange pith, but it wasn’t. I used my own almond flour (because I have a vitamix and love using it) and it was a little soggy, more like a pudding in the middle. But I’m going to assume that is my fault because of the flour. Didn’t matter anyways, because, again, it was FABULOUS. I’m going to use it as a birthday cake for my Aunt this weekend. She isn’t gluten free, but I am. And if I’m baking the cake it is going to meet my dietary restrictions ;)
Elana says
Eva, thanks for letting me know this was FABULOUS!
Sara says
Hi, I was just wondering what the nutritional info is for this cake. Especially calories, I am on a very strict diet and calorie count is crucial for me ight now. Thanks. I’ve already made it, and can’t wait to try it!
Elana says
Sara, for more on that please go here:
https://elanaspantry.com/nutrition-information/
Have a wonderful day!
Elana
Glyn says
I love whole orange cakes, they’re just so….orangey! Thanks Elana for this recipe, I just made it and it has come out beautifully! So moist and delicious. I will be serving it with some Paleo ice cream for dinner guests this evening – provided I don’t eat it all before then!
Elana says
Glyn, I’m so happy to hear this cake came out beautifully!
Laura says
I just used this recipe as the cake part of a plum upside down cake. Heaven! I served it with some homemade heavy cream yogurt cheese, which tasted a bit like crème fraiche and finished it by drizzling some of the plum sauce from the plum reduction. I’m so grateful for your fabulous baked goods recipes. It is making being on the SCD diet so much more approachable and successful!
Elana says
Laura, you’re welcome!
Veronica says
I made this, and it’s my new favorite recipe … it’s so easy. I doubled the recipe and froze 1/2 of it … it freezes very well. Think it was done in 35 minutes .. depending on size of pan and if it was on top or bottom oven shelf.
It is really moist but that’s what makes it delicious.
Elana says
Veronica, I’m so glad to hear this is your new favorite recipe!