Gluten Free Orange Cake

Name: Gluten Free Upside Down Orange Almond Flour Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 cup gluten free flour blend (* see note); 1 cup almond flour (* see note); 3/4 cup coconut sugar ((separate out 1 tablespoon)); 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1/4 cup orange juice; 1 tablespoon orange zest; 2 eggs; 1 cup almond milk; 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted); orange slices

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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!!

a gluten free orange cake on a cake plate

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Why you need to try this cake:
Ingredient notes:
Recipe step-by-step directions:
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
More delicious gluten free cakes:
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Fearless Dining
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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, 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 also find California Grown products in your grocery stores!

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. Thanks to the delicious almond flour, my recipe is refined, sugar-free, dairy-free, and full of protein.

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 - Add 1 cup of raw almonds to your grinder to make almond flour from scratch. Grind until your almonds are flour-like. Be careful not to grind over 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 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. 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 sugar.
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.

wet ingredients poured onto the dry ingredients in a bowl

Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is barely mixed.

If you overmix your cake, the cake will be denser because overmixing pops the natural bubbles that form when you mix the ingredients.

orange slices and brown coconut sugar in a cake dish

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 your cake pan.

You may also love this lighter Gluten Free Orange Poppy Seed Bundt Cake.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:

How to make homemade almond flour:

If you have been following me for a while, you know I like to add nutrition to 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!

How do you get the upside-down cake out of the cake pan?

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.

How do you know when the cake is finished baking?

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 be baked longer. You want the toothpick to come out clean, which will happen when your cake is baked.

How long will this cake keep fresh?

This cake will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.