This is a reliable gluten free recipe for orange lovers or for those who don’t like chocolate and would prefer it over our Gluten Free Almond Chocolate Cake recipe. This heavy and moist cake can be suitable as it is for a wedding cake. If you want to use it for a multi-layered high cake, make sure to use proper internal construction such as dowels or pillars because as you realise, there is no butter or chocolate in this recipe so the cake will not get firmer in the fridge. Therefore it has less ability to hold too much weight. If you like to use this cake as a dessert, you can pour cold orange syrup generously over each portion and serve it with vanilla ice cream.

To make orange syrup: Bring 1L of orange juice and 350g of sugar to a boil for a few minutes and then chill. Cinnamon stick is optional.

Ingredients

The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units', you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Weight Per Unit: 1332
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: 250mm Round cake
WEIGHT
(grams) 		ALTERNATIVE METRIC INGREDIENT IMAGE CONDITION
A 500 17.6 ounces Orange Paste Orange paste is boiled and blended oranges. Take a few fresh oranges and wash them first. Then simmer them in water for 1 hour. After they have cooled down, cut them in half and remove the seeds (if using seedless oranges, you can skip this part). Blend the whole lot in to a creamy paste using a food processor. This orange paste is better than anything you can buy from a store and you can also do this with lemons. If you want to make a large amount and store it, you can also blend up to an equal amount (of the total weight of lemons or oranges) sugar, with the lemons or oranges. Puree.
B 90 3.2 ounces Brown Sugar Brown sugar is a sucrose sugar product with a distinctive brown color due to the presence of molasses. It is either an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual molasses content (natural brown sugar), or it is produced by the addition of molasses to refined white sugar (commercial brown sugar).
C 180 6.3 ounces Sugar Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. (In the body, sucrose hydrolyses into fructose and glucose.) Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners. (Caster)
D 265 4.4 Whole Eggs Whole Egg Eggs are one of the most common ingredients in a typical cake. Egg yolks and whole eggs store significant amounts of protein and choline, and are widely used in baking. Usually an eggs role in a cake is to add moisture and richness, act as a raising agent as well as a glue to bind the ingredients together. No need to whip.
E 220 7.7 ounces Almond Meal Almond meal, almond flour or ground almond is made from ground sweet almonds. Almond flour is usually made with blanched almonds (no skin), whereas almond meal can be made both with whole or blanched almonds. The consistency is more like corn meal than wheat flour.

It is used in pastry and confectionery – in the manufacture of almond macarons and other sweet pastries, in cake and pie filling, such as Sachertorte and is one of the two main ingredients of marzipan and almond paste. In France, almond meal is an important ingredient in frangipane, the filling of traditional galette des Rois cake.

Almond meal has recently become important in baking items for those on low carbohydrate diets. It adds moistness and a rich nutty taste to baked goods. Items baked with almond meal tend to be calorie-dense.
F 2 0.4 teaspoon Sodium Bicarbonate Sodium bicarbonate (a.k.a baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, and bicarbonate of soda), referred to as "baking soda", is primarily used in cooking (baking), as a leavening agent. It reacts with acidic components in batters, releasing carbon dioxide, which causes expansion of the batter and forms the characteristic texture and grain in pancakes, cakes, quick breads, soda bread, and other baked and fried foods. Acidic compounds that induce this reaction include phosphates, cream of tartar, lemon juice, yogurt, buttermilk, cocoa, vinegar, etc. Natural acids in sourdough can be leavened with the addition of small amounts as well. Sodium bicarbonate can be substituted for baking powder provided sufficient acid reagent is also added to the recipe. Many forms of baking powder contain sodium bicarbonate combined with calcium acid phosphate, sodium aluminium sulphate or cream of tartar. Sodium bicarbonate was sometimes used in cooking vegetables, to make them softer, although this has gone out of fashion, as most people now prefer firmer vegetables. However, it is still used in Asian and Latin American cuisine to tenderise meats. Baking soda may react with acids in food, including vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid). It is also used in breadings such as for fried foods to enhance crispness. Heat causes sodium bicarbonate to act as a raising agent by releasing carbon dioxide when used in baking. The carbon dioxide production starts at temperatures above 80 °C. Since the reaction does not occur at room temperature, mixtures (cake batter, etc.) can be allowed to stand without rising until they are heated in the oven. Sifted.
G 75 2.6 ounces Rice Flour Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a particularly good substitute for wheat flour, which causes irritation in the digestive systems of those who are gluten-intolerant. Rice flour is also used as a thickening agent in recipes that are refrigerated or frozen since it inhibits liquid separation. Sifted.
1332

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Method

STEP ACTION DETAIL CONDITION
1 PREPARE Prepare the orange puree. Cold.
2 MEASURE Measure all ingredients. Double checked.
3 PREHEAT Preheat the oven to 180C / 356F.
4 PREPARE Prepare 250mm cake pan or ring. Lined with baking paper.
5 WHISK Whisk A, B, C and D in a large mixing bowl.
6 MIX Mix E, F and G in another bowl.
7 ADD Add 6 to 5 and mix well.
8 FILL Fill mixture into the cake pan.
9 BAKE Bake for 40-45 minutes. Do not open the oven doors for at least 35 minutes.
10 CHECK Check if baked using a wooden skewer. Dry.

Important Notes

  • You can also use gluten free flour which is available in some supermarkets instead of rice flour but rice flour works better.
  • Use seedless oranges for orange paste. You can take 1kg of oranges to produce 1kg of paste. If you use oranges with seeds you have to use 20% more than what you need in order to and up with enough paste. To create the orange paste, the simple steps are as follows: Boil the oranges for 15 minutes than drain the water. Refill the pot with fresh water and boil for another 1 to 1.5 hours (depending of orange quality). Drain the water again and allow the oranges to cool down for few hours. Be sure to remove any little stickers on the orange skin. Chop each orange in to 6 to 8 pieces (WITH THE SKIN) and blend as fine as possible. Measure and use the amount stated in the recipe.
  • Baking time may vary for every oven. To make sure the baking is completed, before you take the sponge out from the oven, poke a wooden skewer in the centre of the sponge and hold it there for 3 seconds. When you remove it, the skewer should come out dry.
  • If you would like the cake to be lighter and more spongy, whip the egg white and sugar into a meringue. Then fold it in to the mixture. Keep in mind that the lighter mix will not be suitable for a tiered cake.
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20 comments

  1. Prachi Shahare says:
    November 4, 2020 at 8:23 pm

    Hi sir,
    Can we make it as normal cake that is by substituting almond meal and rice flour with all purpose flour.

    1. Serdar Yener says:
      November 7, 2020 at 8:52 am

      Yes, you can do that but do not expect the same result. Surely the taste will be good but the texture will be different. If you go this way you make sure the egg separated and whipped separately.

  2. Gayle Duffy says:
    October 17, 2019 at 4:53 pm

    Thinking of making this cake into smaller, iced versions as Christmas gifts. I live in a hot climate (Qld, Australia). How long will the cake last once iced?

  3. Loredana Robertson says:
    June 13, 2018 at 8:26 am

    I did this recipe and combined with layers of glutten free brownie . It was amazing . I used it for a sculpted birthday cake ( a truck) . I am willing to try more recipes now. Thank you Chef ! Please post more delicious cake recipes from your huge expertise 😉

  4. MiamCake says:
    January 10, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    Hello Serdar-

    What flavor buttercream or ganache would you use for this cake? Thank you!

    1. Serdar Yener says:
      January 11, 2017 at 11:16 pm

      I use always Dark Chocolate Ganache with this cake. Thanks

  5. Erinphang says:
    April 6, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    I’m going to try this recipe for my first wedding cake creation. I have a few questions. Do I need to skin off the surface of the cake for stacking? What filling would you recommend for this? Moreover, what is the proper size of the sponge if I were to stack 3 of these sponges with fillings and cover it with maximum 0.5 cm thick fondant and I want the final cake to be 12 inch in diameter and 4 inch height? Thanks alot!

  6. 3D Cake Engineer says:
    November 17, 2015 at 1:59 pm

    This cake rises nicely thank you for this recipe. I’m a little confused on how to preserve the orange paste? Can you give more detailed instructions how to save the Orange Paste for the future?
    Thank you so much.

    1. Serdar Yener says:
      November 17, 2015 at 7:21 pm

      Just freeze the remaining paste for the next recipe . Take it to room temp night before. Thanks

  7. Denise Bitchener says:
    August 17, 2015 at 9:10 pm

    This cake was tested today on a group of friends and the verdict was delicious! but they are all watching their diet and I was wondering if there is any chance of reducing the sugar a little?

    1. Serdar Yener says:
      August 17, 2015 at 11:33 pm

      Hi Denise I think you can do that . It will probably change the colour a bit.

  8. gulnur tuncelli says:
    June 23, 2015 at 5:05 pm

    It is delicious recipe, ellerinize sağlık 🙂

    1. Serdar Yener says:
      June 24, 2015 at 6:38 am

      Afiyet olsun

  9. julia babikova says:
    June 6, 2015 at 2:48 am

    Hi Serdar! This cake is amazing!!!! I made it for celeriac person. She said that it is the best gluten free cake that she ever ate ! Can I freeze it? Will it hold the shape after defrosting? Julia

    1. Serdar Yener says:
      June 6, 2015 at 8:36 am

      Yes . I do also freeze this cake every time. Thanks

  10. Tania Ruscheva says:
    January 13, 2015 at 11:53 pm

    http://www.lepicerie.com/Candied-Orange-Paste.html
    depends where you live you can find it, the best choice is online. This is my personal experience.
    Cheers

  11. Elena says:
    November 9, 2014 at 8:20 pm

    я извиняюсь. я поняла. спасибо
    Translateion: I’m sorry . I get it. thank you

  12. Elena says:
    November 9, 2014 at 8:11 pm

    Здравствуйте! Подскажите пожалуйста оранжевая паста , это что?
    Translate: Hello ! Prompt please orange paste, what’s this?

    1. Beate Hertenstein says:
      January 8, 2015 at 12:34 am

      what is almond meal??

      1. Serdar Yener says:
        January 8, 2015 at 12:50 am

        Almond flour and meal are both just ground up almonds. Almond flour is most often made with blanched almonds (no skin), whereas almond meal can be made either with whole or blanched almonds.

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