Orange Almond Cake – What To Munch

Orange Almond Cake is a fantastic dessert for any occasion. This gluten and dairy-free moist cake uses 2 whole oranges simmered for 2 hours, making them jammy and soft. The cake ends up super moist and almost custardy, kind of like if a cheesecake married an almond tart but turned out to be dairy intolerant. The whole idea is when you simmer an orange for a couple of hours, the orange becomes very soft. It makes the rind and white pith into a rich soluble pectin, like making a jam and jelly. No fruit has more pectin than citrus peel. Then the whole orange, minus any seeds, is pureed and mixed with beaten eggs, almond flour, sugar, and salt. That is it. The result is a fragrant orange cake different from anything I have ever had. I almost wouldn’t call it a cake but more of a custard. The best way to describe a bite of this terrific cake is it starts with fragrant orange and a little sweetness and finishes with a hint of bitterness in a very good way. It is similar to the flavor of orange marmalade, except not as sweet.

This is a recipe I came across when I was looking for an almond cake to take to friends who were making a Moroccan lamb stew. Though it isn’t Moroccan, I thought it was unusual and worth trying. Who had ever heard of simmering whole oranges and putting them in a cake? But the idea intrigued me. The original recipe comes from a 1984 cookbook: Everything Tastes Better Outdoors by Egyptian-English author Claudie Roden. It was then published in the New York Times in 1987. I added some salt and vanilla, but the concept stayed the same. I may have to check out what else Ms. Roden has to write about. The cake is easily transportable, and I’m sure it is fantastic served outdoors.

I had some oranges in my kitchen, so I decided to give this Orange Almond Cake a try. I simmered the oranges for 2 hours covered in a pot, and my house started to smell of oranges and thoughts of summer. After two hours, the oranges were still intact, and I was worried they had not cooked enough. However, when I cut them open to remove any seeds, they were transformed into soft, jammy wedges. My oranges had no visible seeds. I looked carefully just as a heads up. Then on to the food processor they went, and they pureed into a fragrant orange slurry. The rest of the batter came together in about a minute. It was baking and making my kitchen smell even more like oranges. When it finished baking and cooled, I sprinkled some powdered sugar and a few sliced almonds to make it fancy.

My friends’ eyes lit up as they took their first bite. It’s really wonderfully soft, moist, and fragrant with oranges and almonds. It is slightly exotic in its texture. But not intimidating, almost like a custard. Its flavor is best at room temperature, but it can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, and brought to room temperature before serving. I found it was absolutely fantastic with a glass of scotch. It paired perfectly with the fantastic Lamb stew my friends made, and I could see it go with French food or even a roast chicken as well. It is not a heavy dessert and is fabulous when you want something simple yet amazing. The one thing you will need is a food processor (or possibly a good blender). This is one recipe you cannot do by hand. If you are in need, I use this Cuisinart 11-cup as my kitchen workhorse, and you can find it on Amazon here. (I get a small commission at no cost to you from Amazon. If you use any link on this page, please consider helping fund my food journey.)

Well, that is all for this week. This Orange and Almond Cake is definitely a recipe I will be making again, probably often, as it is so easy. It is the perfect thing to serve to someone who eats gluten or dairy-free. I hope you are all staying safe and healthy out there. Please think of others in your choices. We all need to get through this world together. Until next time!