If you love citrus and cake, you are going to want to give this moist Gluten Free Orange Cake a try. I am crazy about the fresh orange and almond flavors in this gluten free orange cake recipe. If you are looking for an easy "healthier" cake that doesn't taste healthy, this cake is it!!
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(*This post was sponsored by California Grown. All of the opinions are my own. This post was updated from an older 3/2018 post with more information and details on making this cake.)
You are in for a special treat today because this moist and delicious gluten free orange and almond cake is so good!
Our family is lucky to live in California, and have easy access to delicious fresh foods. We shop at our local farmer's market here every week, but you can find California Grown products in your grocery stores too!
At this time of year, citrus is king in the markets. I have wanted to perfect my gluten free almond flour cake recipe but add a special twist. I was able to find a vendor with several varieties of fresh oranges. I bought a few different ones to test out the flavors.
We like to make cakes a lot in the Fearless Dining household. If you like to bake, you will love these gluten free cake recipes!
Why you need to try this cake:
This gluten free orange cake recipe is completely redone to be a much healthier version of pound cake. My recipe is refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and full of protein thanks to the delicious almond flour.
You will find this doesn't look like a typical gluten free cake recipe because it is denser. Don't worry because this moist orange almond cake is as delicious as any of my gluten free cake recipes!
I can't wait to hear what you think! If you are excited about this cake recipe, give this delicious Gluten Free Date Nut Cake recipe a try too!
Ingredient notes:
- Almond flour - To make almond flour from scratch, add 1 cup of raw almonds to your grinder. Grind until your almonds are flour-like. Be careful not to over grind or you will end up with fresh almond butter!
- Gluten free flour blend - Gluten free flour blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- Xanthan gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Dairy-free milk - I used almond milk but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- Coconut sugar - I used coconut sugar but you can use brown sugar if you do not care about the sugars.
- Coconut oil - I love the flavor of coconut oil with the orange flavor. You can use any light oil in this recipe or butter.
Recipe step by step directions:
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend.
Step 2: In a smaller bowl, add your wet ingredients and orange zest to a bowl and whisk to blend.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is just barely mixe.
If you overmix your cake, the cake will be denser because overmixing pops the natural bubbles that form when you mix the ingredients.
Step 4: Spread out orange slices in a greased cake pan. Sprinkle the oranges with one tablespoon of coconut sugar.
Step 5: Pour the cake batter on top of the orange slices and bake at 350º F for 40-45 minutes. Baking time will depend on the size and depth of the cake pan you use.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
If you have been following me for a while, you know I like to add nutrition in my baked recipes when I can. I added almond flour to this recipe, first to add some protein to balance out the sugars in this recipe, and second because almond flour adds moisture to keep this delicious cake moist.
With a Cuisinart or food grinder, you can even grind almonds down to make your own almond flour!
My favorite way to get the cake out of the pan is to liberally spray the pan with coconut oil before adding the cake batter. You can also use a thin knife to cut around the edges of the pan to release the cake. Lastly, you can bake the cake in a springform pan, and then it would be easy to release the sides and flip the cake upside down.
Use the toothpick test to determine if your cake is finished baking. To use this method, insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If crumbs or cake batter comes out on the toothpick, your cake needs to bake longer. You want the toothpick to come out clean, which will happen when your cake is baked.
This cake will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
More delicious gluten free cakes:
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave me a rating and a comment. I LOVE hearing from you!! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to see even more delicious recipes!
📋 Recipe
Gluten Free Upside Down Orange Almond Flour Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 cup almond flour * see note
- ¾ cup coconut sugar (separate out 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup almond milk
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- orange slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a food processor or grinder, grind 1 cup of almonds into almond flour. (If you are using almond flour, just use that.)
- Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to blend.
- Add wet ingredients to a bowl and whisk to mix.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Spray a cake pan with coconut oil. Spread orange slices on the bottom. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon coconut sugar over the oranges.
- Add cake batter on top of the orange slices.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until done.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Turn the cake upside down on a plate and serve.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your cake grainy.
- I used almond milk but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cake needs to bake longer.
- This cake will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
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Mariane
Hi Sandi!
Yum! Orange cake! I have an allergen to coconut. Is there a low glycemic sugar I can use instead? Most flour blends have coconut in them. Do you have some blends you like to substitute?
With gratitude,
Mariane
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Mariane, I would try using agave or maple syrup. You may need to adjust the dry ingredients a little. I haven't tried this so I don't have an exact measurement.
Gina H
This cake looks wonderful! Do you think it would work baked in a cast iron skillet?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Gina, I do think it would turn out well in a cast-iron skillet...though you won't be able to flip it to get the oranges on top.
Jules Shepard
I am all about oranges recently and this looks so delicious! Pinned it!
Sandi Gaertner
You are so sweet, thank you so much Jules 🙂
Eve
It looks so deliciously. Can almond milk be substituted by goat milk?
Thanks!
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Eve, In theory, goat milk should work. I have not tested dairy in this recipe so if you try it, please let us know how it turns out 🙂
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This cake sounds absolutely perfect. Love that it doesn't have any refined sugars.It's also very pretty to look at. I will need to try this soon!
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much Stephanie 🙂