Nourish - Gluten Free Orange and Almond Cake
This orange and almond cake is a variation of a classic Spanish cake which is made without flour or butter. Its wonderful moist and rich texture comes from the surprising blend of whole pulped orange and ground almonds.
Just a hint of spice has been added to the traditional recipe, though feel free to omit or adjust this according to your taste.
Ingredients
- 2 large or 3 small organic oranges (roughly 250g)
- 200g caster sugar
- 225g ground almonds
- 4 free-range eggs
- ½ tsp. ground coriander
- Juice from small piece fresh root ginger
- 1 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
- Optional: flaked almonds for decoration
Method
- Place the whole oranges in a pan of water and bring to the boil.
- Simmer the oranges on a medium heat for about 1 hour. It may help to place a colander on top of the oranges to keep them submerged and to top up the water if necessary.
- Remove and strain the cooked oranges and allow them to cool.
- Prepare the orange pulp by quartering them and removing any pips. The rest of the flesh, pith and skin (including the juices) is placed in a processor and pulped. This can be prepared in advance and left in the fridge overnight.
- Line a 22cm. spring release cake tin with baking parchment and set the oven to 180 c (gas 4).
- Separate the eggs and whisk the whites until they begin to stiffen.
- Add a third of the sugar and continue to whisk until it forms soft peaks. Set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar until it forms a light creamy consistency.
- Stir in the orange pulp and when it is thoroughly mixed, fold in the almonds, baking powder, and spice and ginger juice.
- Gently fold in the prepared egg whites in stages, taking care to distribute it well while not beating out the air.
- Pour the cake mix into the prepared tin and sprinkle with flaked almonds if desired.
- Bake for about 1 hour; testing before the end with a skewer. If the cake is browning too quickly cover with tin foil to prevent burning.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin.
Serve with crème fraiche or yoghurt.
This orange and almond cake is very easy to make and will freeze very well. It’s also a great recipe to have on hand for when you have a friend over who’s gluten free or wheat sensitive.
And sometimes it’s just nice to have different textures, tastes and variety to your baking. Cake doesn’t always have to be wheat flour, eggs and sugar afterall.
With the addition of ground almonds to this orange and almond cake, the texture becomes alot more moist and rich. The flavours come through nicely and the smell. Oh my. The sweet smell of orange just adorns your nostrils with a heavenly scent.
It’s worth nothing, it is important to seek out organic, unwaxed oranges for this recipe. Nobody wants the addition of wax to their cake!
And if you’re searching for more recipes using ground almonds, aside from this heavenly orange and almond cake, have a peek at these:
Nutrition
Almonds are a good source of minerals such as magnesium, copper, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron, and also B vitamins and vitamin E. They are also a good source of healthy fats, protein and fibre.
Any questions? Drop into your local Nourish store to speak with our team and find our full range of foods, supplements and skincare. You can also explore our online store.
