With a delicate orange aroma and a tender crumb, this single-layer almond flour orange cake is simple to make and delightfully fragrant. You don’t need to boil oranges; a light dusting of powdered sugar is enough to finish, though orange-scented whipped cream or coconut cream are also excellent accompaniments. The cake can be made a day ahead to save time.
Citrus often feels like a winter treat. With guests coming for dinner and a navel orange tree full of fruit, I returned to a longtime favorite and adapted it to be gluten-free. The result is a familiar, comforting cake with bright orange notes and a satisfying almond texture.
Almond Flour Orange Cake Ingredients
To lower the sugar, you can use a mix of natural granulated sugar and a sweetener such as granular stevia or a monk fruit blend. For a reliable gluten-free flour, an all-purpose gluten-free blend works well. If you don’t have almond meal, pulse raw almonds in a food processor until finely ground.
Shopping list:
- Raw almonds 6 ounces, ground (about 1 cup)
- Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- Natural granulated sugar or a monk fruit blend (or a sugar/stevia mix)
- Eggs (1 whole egg, 2 yolks, 2 whites)
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
- Oranges for zest and juice
- Ground coriander
- Sea salt
Almond Cake Tool Tips
Hand mixer: This recipe yields a smaller amount of batter than typical two-layer cakes, so a hand mixer is sufficient.
Springform pan: Use an 8-inch springform pan. A tight-sealing springform makes removing the cake easy after cooling.
Parchment paper: Line the pan bottom with a round of parchment and butter it before dusting with flour for easy release.
Fine sieve: Use a small fine-mesh sieve to dust the finished cake evenly with powdered sugar.
Recipe
Almond Flour Orange Cake (gluten-free)
Equipment
- 8″ springform pan
- Baking parchment
- Food processor (to grind almonds) or almond meal
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds (6 ounces) or almond meal
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup monk fruit blend or natural granulated sugar (or 6 tbsp sugar + 3 tbsp granular stevia)
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour blend
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- Pinch sea salt
- 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
Optional Garnish
- Powdered sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter an 8-inch springform pan. Cut a parchment circle to fit the bottom, line the pan, butter the parchment and dust lightly with flour.
- In a large bowl, beat ½ cup butter with a hand mixer until fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until blended. Add the whole egg, then add the two yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- At low speed, beat in the ground almonds, gluten-free flour blend, orange juice, orange zest, ground coriander and sea salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate clean, dry bowl, beat the two egg whites with clean beaters until stiff but not dry — they should hold a firm peak without looking crumbly. Gently fold the beaten whites into the batter in two additions using a flexible spatula, keeping as much air as possible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35–40 minutes (ovens vary, so check early).
- Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Once cool, release the springform and remove the cake. Dust with powdered sugar or serve with orange-scented whipped cream if desired.
Notes
To reduce sugar: use 6 tablespoons natural granulated sugar plus 3 tablespoons granular stevia, or follow package directions for a monk fruit/erythritol blend. If you don’t have almond meal, pulse whole almonds in a food processor until finely ground. The recipe was adapted from a classic orange-almond torte.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 283 kcal • Carbohydrates: 14 g • Protein: 8 g • Fat: 23 g • Fiber: 4 g • Sugar: 2 g