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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ⅔ 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.
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.
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
- Easy Apple Cake
- Caramel Dumplings
- No Bake Marble Cheesecake
- White Chocolate Mud Cupcakes
- Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Honey Joys (Honey Crackles)
- Mini Banana Muffins
- Easy Banana Cake
- OR see all Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried these Flourless Orange and Almond Cakes I’d love to hear how you enjoyed them! Pop a comment and a star rating below!
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📋 RECIPE
Flourless Orange and Almond Cakes
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.
Ingredients
- 2 Oranges (roughly 400g)
- 5 Eggs
- 1 ¼ cups Caster / Superfine / Baker's Sugar (280g)
- 2 ½ cups Almond Meal / Ground Almonds / Almond Flour (225g)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Optional
- Icing / Powdered Sugar, to serve
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.
- 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.
- 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 ⅔ 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.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 299Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 78mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 4gSugar: 32gProtein: 8g
Melissa Chastain says
I made these recently and LOVED them. The only problem is that they stuck terribly to my silicone muffin pan. Upon taking them out, they crumbled apart. I then tried a second batch in a greased muffin tin. Still the same result. Is there something I can do differently to have them be spongy, yet not crumble and release from the muffin pan?
Cassie says
Hey Melissa - are you leaving them for 10 mins or so before removing from the pan? Loosening the edges with a spatula or knife could help too.
Claudia Phillips says
Wow! This is so delicious! I made it as a cake in a springform pan. My oranges were really big so I only used about 1 1/2 after boiling. I didn't have caster sugar so I used a combination of granulated sugar and powdered sugar. It turned out great. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Cassie says
I'm so thrilled to hear that Claudia! And great to know it worked with a combination of granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Thank you 🙂
Patricia E. Smith says
FYI,I have been making this or a very similar recipe for years. I have found if i do about a dozen(washed,Naval) oranges in a crockpot,with water of course,it is much easier. I let them go for several hours. Then i take the oranges and puree in my food processor. Once cooled,i bag them up in the required recipe amount,and freeze! That way,i always have them ready. If you want to"guild the Lily", i put cream cheese frosting on my cake,with a sprinkle of grated Orange Zest! Which i also keep in my freezer. Hope this helps simplify a delicious,gluten free,cake. 🙂
Teresa Schwerin says
For the 2nd orange do you blend that with the skin on with the first orange
Cassie says
Hi Teresa, yes that's correct. Enjoy 🙂
Olivia says
Looking to make this next week as a three tier cake in 15cm tins. Would you recommend to just double this recipe? Do you think that would be enough?
Cassie says
I would guess the mixture would probably yield one full size cake, so probably safer to 3 x the recipe. If worst comes to worse and you have a little left over, can make a few extra cupcakes in a muffin tin.
Olivia says
Thanks for your response! Can’t wait to give it a crack!
Francesca says
I love the flavour of this recipe. However, after several attempts using the exact recipe, the muffins sank in the middle. My oven is a fan oven, should it be at 170 ?. Also I wonder if the oranges I’m using are too big. Francesca
Cassie says
So sad to hear you haven't had success with the cakes still Francesca! Baking is one of those things that is difficult to troubleshoot as there are a lot of things at play. Are the cakes cooked through when you pull them out? Sometimes a few extra minutes might be all it needs to hold its shape more. Your oven temp should still be fine. My oranges with skin on weigh roughly 400g if that helps.
I know a few people who have turned this recipe into a full round cake - maybe that might be worth a try?
Francesca says
Thank you, I really appreciate your replies as I would love to get it right. I wonder if I am whisking the eggs and sugar too much. I whisk until the batter can form the figure eight on top . (an old way of testing the consistency!)
And yes I will try making a cake instead. But I would love a comment from you re the whisking. Kindest regards. Francesca
Cassie says
Hey Francesca - for these cakes I'd say just whisk until the mixture doubled in size. The other method might be taking it further than it needs to go. If you are going to try cooking it as a cake the cooking time will increase, probably double 🙂
Francesca says
Thank you. I really appreciate your responses. I will let you know how it works out.
Virginia Shipp says
I saw this cake made on The Great British Bake Off, onPBS Create channel. I do remember the lady who made the cake, who is a Master Chef saying not to open the oven no matter the temptation to look. If you did so, the cake would fall in the middle. I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but it is next on my list of new recipes to try. I will post when I do make it with what my experience is and how the taste and texture is. This is one I am really looking forward to baking!
Claudia Phillipa says
I'm about to make this recipe. Sounds delicious. Are the oranges 400g each. or 400g total for both of them? I love measurements in weight because it's more precise. Thanks so much.
Cassie says
Hi Claudia - its 400g in total. Don't worry too much if you're slightly above or below, it won't make a difference. Enjoy!
Claudia Phillips says
Thanks so much for your quick. reply!
Anna says
I do hate when people ask you to comment on alterations to your recipe, but I don’t eat eggs. Wondering if any of your followers have had success with egg substitutes like flex or Ener-G...?
Cassie says
Hey Anna, I'm sorry I can't be much help here as I haven't tried with an egg substitute. Hopefully someone can update us if they have 🙂
Sonam says
Hi! I tried this recipe with Bob Mills Egg Replacer instead of eggs and it turned out just fine. Also I didn’t have a cupcake mold so I used a 8x8 pan. It rose correctly and cooked through. Tastes good.
Cassie says
That's great news Sonam! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
Gaye M says
I had lunch guests today & made these for dessert. They were delicious served with a dollop of thick cream. The only thing is I had so much batter left after I filled my large 12 hole muffin pan. I scrambled through my cupboards for some extra baking gear and ended up filling a 12 hole mini muffin pan and two six hole patty cake pans as well.
Cassie says
Hey Gaye, oh I'm so glad to hear that they were delicious! I'm so curious about the batter being more than 12 as that's never happened for me, but I'm remaking these cupcakes today to put the weight measurements in too so hopefully that helps. Thanks 🙂
Gaye M says
Cassie, they were so delicious that I certainly didn’t begrudge having extra! Everyone loved them. My large muffin pan holds just under half a cup, about 120ml., per muffin. I didn’t fill them to the top as per the recipe however I still would have had batter left over if I filled them to capacity. I will be interested in your weight measurements when you bake today. Thanks!
Cassie says
You know Gaye I ended up with more than 12 today too 🙂 I must have had some rather small oranges for my first few batches. I've updated the serving size for now but I will tinker with it to get it down to a dozen as I think that's a rather perfect serving size! Thanks so much 🙂
Gaye M says
It will be great to have the measurements. I still have some in the freezer but I will definitely be making these again. I just had one with a dollop of thick cream & my hubby had one with icecream. 🙂 I did 3 x 10 second bursts in the microwave to defrost them because we couldn’t wait for them to defrost naturally.
Chi says
Hello. I refrain from using sugar; white brown agave etc. Do you have any suggestions for using your recipe without sugar?
Cassie says
Hi Chi, I have no experience using sugar alternatives but in the comments below yours someone used monkfruit sweetener. There are sugar free recipes on the blog but this cake in particular is made with sugar 🙂
Melissa Chastain says
I used monkfruit granular sugar substitute, which I blended into a powdered sugar. Tasted great!
Cassie says
Glad to hear it worked out so well!
Winnie says
Lakanto monk fruit or Swerve are excellent sugar free substitutes that have no after taste. I’ve used both in various desserts and no one can tell the difference between that and real sugar.
Francesca says
I made these cup cakes exactly as in recipe but they fell totally flat. Tasted fine but sank right down in the middle
Francesca
Cassie says
Hey Francesca, I'm glad they still tasted good 🙂 I know how disappointing it can be when something doesn't meet your expectations.
There's many reasons why cupcakes can fall so it's hard to troubleshoot to pinpoint the exact problem but here's a few to keep in mind next time:
- be careful not to overbeat the batter. stir until just combined.
- check your oven temp. if it's too high the cupcakes can rise too rapidly. i bought an oven thermometer recently and was shocked at how different my oven temp was to what I set it.
- don't open the door until at least a few minutes before the suggest cooking time. opening it before the batter has a chance to set will cause it to sink.
- check your baking powder is not too old. Baking powder typically expires within 3 months after opening. To test it, you can take a small spoonful and put it in a little water. If it’s good, it should fizz up rather quickly, otherwise, it’s time to buy some new baking powder!
I hope these help pinpoint what happened here 🙂
Francesca says
Thank you so much for your reply. I will take note the next time I try the recipe. Would love to get it right.
Francesca says
Francesca says
May 18, 2020 at 7:18 pm
This is Francesca again. I took your advice and reduced the heat to 150 (Fan oven). This time I was more successful, the muffins did rise but took 30 – 35 mins. Again, they drooped in the middle as soon as I took them out of the oven. They tasted fine but look a bit sad! I’m wondering if my cups are the right size, is it possible to get metric measurements? I love the recipe but I would like to get it right.
Thank you. Francesca
fr says
Francesca here again. I took your advice and reduced heat to 150 fan oven. Results much mn.
Is it possible to get metric measurements as I'm not sure if I am using the correct cup size.
Francesca
Cassie says
Hey Francesca, sorry just saw your comments. One point of clarification - are the tops flat or sunken in the middle? my cakes never get a rise and have flat tops, so just thought I'd check. I'll pop oranges on the shopping list and make a batch to specify the metric measurements this week 🙂
Francesca says
This is Francesca again. I took your advice and reduced the heat to 150 (Fan oven). This time I was more successful, the muffins did rise but took 30 - 35 mins. Again, they drooped in the middle as soon as I took them out of the oven. They tasted fine but look a bit sad! I'm wondering if my cups are the right size, is it possible to get metric measurements? I love the recipe but I would like to get it right.
Thank you. Francesca
WYn Peggie says
I make mine in a round cake tin and it never fails .
Patricia says
Although I have not made” your” recipe, I have been making this cake for years. I highly recommend using a crockpot to cook a large amount of Oranges. Then you can cool, remove any stringy centers, process in food processor, and freeze in the size you will need. I make a cake with mine, and frost with cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with orange zest! I don’t see an amount fir the orange purée? But hope this tip helps, it sure is a timesaver! Blessings~ Tricia
Cassie says
What a great tip Patricia - thank you for sharing 🙂
Mio says
It’s two Oranges
Irma says
Hi,
Another question, unfortunately I don’t have any almond flour and can’t seem to find any in stores right now, can I use tapioca flour instead? Would it come out just as good?
Thanks
Irma
Irma says
Can I use an egg replacer?
Cassie says
You could give it a go if you're confident using it in place of eggs in baking recipes. It's definitely not something I've tested. Let us know if you try it and if it works 🙂
Dianne says
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.
Cassie says
Hey Dianne, I'm very curious as to why the volume was so much. Were you using a mini muffin tray?
Mandy says
Batter made twice as much for me as well! Using a regular size 12 cup cupcake/muffin pan. Have 2 pans so making the double batch.
Marissa says
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 says
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
Marie says
Can you use nectarines instead of oranges?
Cassie says
Hey Marie - nectarines wouldn't work for this particular recipe. You could replace oranges with clementines or mandarines.
Leanne Roberts says
Can I freeze the cakes?
Cassie says
Yes - just doing put powdered sugar on them first before freezing.
Priscille says
I used an erythritol monk fruit blend for the sweetener and one cup would have been sufficient for me as i don’t like overly sweet desserts. The recipe also made 12 medium cupcakes, 24 minis and two 3 inch small pie places that i had. That’s a lot of cake...but over all it’s quite good.
Cassie says
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!
Tamela says
Can you use almond flour? Also would you use powder sugar?
Cassie says
Hey Tamela, yes you can. almond meal is almond flour - it sure is confusing with so many names! I'll pop a note in to clarify that. As for powder sugar, you can use it for sprinkling on top but i would substitute for regular white sugar in the cakes if you don't have caster sugar.
Mio says
Almond Flour is usually more finely ground than Almond Meal but they will both work.
I also used Organic Oranges from my tree as the recipe calls for the whole Orange including the peel.
Cassie says
Thanks Mio! Oh my using fresh oranges from your tree would have been just divine 🙂
Yvonne Voss says
Can you use monk fruit sweetner instead of the sugar?
Cassie says
Hey Yvonne, monk fruit sweetener is not something I have worked with so I can't say if you would get the same result, but if you have used it interchangeably with sugar in the past in baking recipes it may be worth having a go. I assume it's not a liquid sweetener?
Jen says
This is nearly identical to Nigella Lawson's clementine cake that I've been making for years. I even make it in the mini muffin tins, to make tea cakes.
Cassie says
Love Nigella so I will have to check out that recipe. I've never tried a clementine - I wonder if we can get them here. Hope you enjoy this recipe 🙂
Danette says
The boiling is just to reduce the bitterness? That liquid then gets tossed out?
Cassie says
Hi, yes the water you boil the oranges is thrown away. I mention in the post that 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!
Baking with passion says
Can you use honey instead of sugar?
Cassie says
I wouldn't suggest that for this recipe as the measurements are made for a solid sweetener, not a liquid.