Flourless Orange and Almond Cakes

WRITER BYCassie

POSTEDOctober 15, 2019

Flourless Orange and Almond Cakes are a great gluten-free dessert option. These orange almond cupcakes are light and moist with just the right amount of sweetness. Serve as is, or sprinkle some icing or powdered sugar on top.

Orange and almond cakes stacked on top of each other on a marble board.

Looking for a new and different dessert to bake? Try these absolutely irresistible Flourless Orange and Almond Cakes!

We had orange and almond cupcakes as our wedding cake so they hold a very special place in my heart. We never intended on having them as an option but were given a sample from our cake maker and it was love at first bite.

I think about those cupcakes at least once a week and I knew I had to try and recreate them. I'm so happy with how they turned out. They are so flavourful, light and moist with just the right amount of sweetness.

This recipe is a little longer than some of my other baking recipes as you need to boil the oranges before using them in the cakes. But don't worry - it's certainly worth the extra effort.

I'm sure you'll find it as hard to stop at just one cupcake as I did!

Why you'll love this recipe...

Light and moist cupcakes.
Gluten-free dessert.
Full of flavour.
Just the right amount of sweetness.

Orange and almond cakes on a marble board.

Why and how do you boil oranges?

When using oranges in orange and almond cake it's important to boil them first for a number of reasons. Boiling oranges softens the peel and makes them easier to process in the food processor.

Boiling the oranges also makes the pith of the orange (the white part of the skin) less bitter and ensures your cake doesn't have a sour unpleasant taste.

To boil the oranges simply place the two whole oranges in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain, then repeat once more.

You can save the water the oranges are boiled in and put them in a bath later if you want to get creative. It smells divine!

Is almond meal the same as ground almonds?

Yes - almond meal and ground almonds are the same thing! Almond meal, also known as ground almonds, is simply finely grounded almonds. It's used regularly in gluten-free baking.

INGREDIENTS

Oranges
Eggs
Caster Sugar
Almond Meal / Ground Almonds / Almond Flour
Baking Powder - If making gluten-free ensure your baking powder is always gluten free.
Vanilla Extract
Optional - Icing / Powdered Sugar

How to Make Flourless Orange and Almond Cakes - Step by Step

Preheat the oven to 170C / 340F and grease two 12-hole muffin trays.

Place the oranges in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place lid onto the saucepan and bring to the boil, then uncover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Drain the water, then repeat once more.

Step by step photo instructions on how to make orange and almond cakes.

Drain the cooking water from the oranges, then place the oranges on a cutting board. Chop oranges into quarters and remove the skin off 1 orange, leaving the skin on the other. Remove any visible pith and seeds, then place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Step by step photo instructions on how to make orange and almond cakes.

Next, place eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until pale, fluffy and doubled in size.

Step by step photo instructions on how to make orange and almond cakes.

Add the orange mixture, vanilla, baking powder and almond meal into the bowl and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin trays, filling each hole ⅔ of the way, then cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden with springy tops and a skewer comes out clean.

Step by step photo instructions on how to make orange and almond cakes.

Leave in the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a rack to cool.

Orange and almond cakes stacked on top of each other on a marble board.

STORAGE ADVICE

Store any leftover orange and almond cakes in an airtight container in the fridge. Because they are made with fresh fruit they have a short self life and will need to be consumed within 3 days.

You can also freeze these cakes, either individually wrapped or in an airtight container for a few months.

Orange and almond cakes on a marble board.

TOP TIPS

TO MAKE A CAKE - Pour the mixture into the springform pan, then cook for 45-60 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
Don't have two muffin trays? You can use silicone cupcake cases or just cook in batches.
Don't skip the boiling oranges step. This will stop them being bitter and leaving a sour taste in your cupcakes! The water you boil the oranges in can either be thrown out or if you want to get creative - save it and pour it into a warm bath. It smells divine!
If you're wanting the cakes to be gluten-free make sure you use a gluten-free baking powder.
Serve cupcakes as is or with icing / powdered sugar sifted on top.
Store leftovers in an airtight container the fridge for a few days, or freeze for a few months.

More Delicious Desserts

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RECIPE

Flourless Orange and Almond Cakes

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Total Time

55 minutes

Flourless Orange and Almond Cakes are a great gluten free dessert option. These orange almond cupcakes are light and moist with just the right amount of sweetness. Serve as is, or sprinkle some icing or powdered sugar on top.

4.82 Stars (242 Reviews)

servings

20

Scale

Optional

Icing / Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170C / 340F and grease two 12-hole muffin trays (to make cupcakes) or a springform pan (to make a cake).

Place the oranges in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place lid onto the saucepan and bring to the boil, then uncover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Drain the water, then repeat once more.

Next, place eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until pale, fluffy and doubled in size.

Add the orange mixture, vanilla, baking powder and almond meal into the bowl and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin trays, filling each hole 2/3 of the way, then cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden with springy tops and a skewer comes out clean.

Leave in the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a rack to cool.

Serve as is, or sprinkle over icing / powdered sugar.

Notes

Storing Orange Almond Cupcakes

Store any leftover orange and almond cakes in an airtight container in the fridge. Because they are made with fresh fruit they have a short self life and will need to be consumed within 3 days.

Tips for Making Orange and Almond Cakes

TO MAKE A CAKE - Pour the mixture into the springform pan, then cook for 45-60 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
Don't have two muffin trays? You can use silicone cupcake cases or just cook in batches.

Don't skip the boiling oranges step. This will stop them being bitter and leaving a sour taste in your cupcakes! The water you boil the oranges in can either be thrown out or if you want to get creative - save it and pour it into a warm bath. It smells divine!

If you're wanting the cakes to be gluten-free make sure you use a gluten-free baking powder.
Serve cupcakes as is or with icing / powdered sugar sifted on top.
Store leftovers in an airtight container the fridge for a few days, or freeze for a few months.

Did you make this? Tell us about it!

Nutrition Facts

Servings:20

Serving Size:1

Amount Per Serving:

calories

299kcal

carbohydrates

38g

protein

fat

14g

saturated fat

polyunsaturated fat

12g

cholesterol

78mg

sodium

78mg

fiber

sugar

32g

Hey Priscille, I had someone asking about monk fruit sweetener the other day so I'm glad you stopped by to let us know your results! I'm glad to hear it all worked out for you. I wonder why the mix turned out to be so much... I've only ever filled 12 muffin cases. I saw your comment that you substituted for aquafaba so I'm wondering if this played a part. I haven't experimented with it myself yet. Either way, more cake at the moment is never a bad thing 🙂 Be well!

Priscille

March 22, 2020

I forgot to mention that i replaced 2 of the eggs with aquafaba. That’s the liquid from a can of chickpeas for those who don’t know. 3 tablespoons equals one egg.

Leanne Roberts

March 23, 2020

Can I freeze the cakes?

Cassie

March 24, 2020

Yes - just doing put powdered sugar on them first before freezing.

Marie

March 24, 2020

Can you use nectarines instead of oranges?

Cassie

March 24, 2020

Hey Marie - nectarines wouldn't work for this particular recipe. You could replace oranges with clementines or mandarines.

Marissa

March 25, 2020

The oranges I had were MASSIVE. About how many cups of the orange mixture is it? I highly doubt the amount I have will work as it's WAY too much in my opinion.

Cassie

March 25, 2020

Hey Marissa, I used two large oranges but I must admit the ones here are always similar sizes. If I was to guess I'd say around 1 - 1.5 cups of pureed oranges but I'll make these again soon and measure it out. Thanks

Dianne

March 29, 2020

I followed this recipe exactly, yet I wound up with almost twice the volume. It made 20 small cupcakes! I don’t know what happened. They took longer than 20 min. to bake at 340 & were still undone in the middle. They tasted good.