Last Updated on February 28, 2023

This is a modified version of the original Orange Almond Cake recipe I created for Emily. This modified recipe was demonstrated at the Boquete Healing Foods Class, August 14th 2012.

Because this cake depends on a non-exacting amount of blended orange, it is not an exact formula. The key is getting the correct consistency. See the preparation notes for more details.
A few attempts may be necessary to get a feel for it, and to get it just right.

Ingredients:

  • 3 Large oranges, Simmered in a pot of water for 60 to 90 minutes
  • 300 g Brown organic rapadura sugar, 300 to 400 depending on how sweet you like it
  • 6 Eggs Large, or egg replacer
  • 500 g Almond meal, Grind sweet almonds into a fine meal or buy as ready made meal
  • Coconut oil, or Olive oil (Optional), 90 grams Coconut oil, or 80 ml Olive oil. Coconut oil is best.
  • 3 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon Sea salt – fine
  • 80 grams Ginger fresh
  • 2 tablespoons Ginger powder
  • 3 tablespoons Cinnamon powder
  • Citrus zest (optional)
    • 5 tablespoons Citrus zest, 5 or so tablespoons of zest from oranges, lemons, or grapefruit
    • 3 tablespoons Brown organic rapadura sugar
    • 1 tablespoon Cinnamon powder
    • ½ teaspoon Nutmeg powder
    • 2 tablespoons Coconut oil
    • 100 milliliters Water
  • Thickener (optional)
    • ½ cup Buckwheat flour, Add enough buckwheat flour to bring the batter to the right consistency
    • 10 tablespoons Coconut cream powder, Coconut cream powder can be used in place of buckwheat flour

Directions:

1. Boil oranges
Bring a pot of water to the boil, add the oranges, cover and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes. An hour is usually enough.

2. Let oranges cool
Strain off the hot water, and fill pot with cold water to help cool the oranges. If you need to cool them quickly, just keep exchanging the water with more cold water. They just need to be cool enough that you can handle the insides of them.

3. Cream the sugar, eggs, oil
While the oranges are cooling you can start with the rest of the cake mix.
With a blender or food processor, cream the sugar with the eggs and olive/coconut oil until the sugar is dissolved as much as reasonably possible and pour into a bowl.

Note: The oil is optional, and can be safely left out if you want to reduce fat content in the cake.

4. Preheat oven
Preheat the oven to 185 ℃ at this point.

5. Prepare Zest (refer to “Citrus Zest” ingredients)
Make approximately 4 tablespoons of lemon, grapefruit, or orange zest from the skin of one or more of these fruit. You can use a potato peeler to peel off the outer layer of skin, and then finely chop this using a knife and cutting board.
Note: This zest is taken from fresh citrus fruits, not the ones you have boiled.

Put zest, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut oil, and water into a sauce pan or frying pan.
Render it down so that the water has all evaporated.
Add more water if you feel to, in order to caramelise the zest slightly.
Put aside in a small bowl

6. Blend oranges
Cut the oranges in half and take the seeds out if they have any. You may need to cut off the hard knob at one end of the orange.
Put entire orange (skin and all) into a blender or food processor and blend/process until l relatively smooth.
Don’t completely liquify it though. It’s nice to have some small pieces of skin still present in the finished cake.

7. Add Ginger
Either very finely chop the ginger or blend it in a small amount of the egg/sugar/oil mixture.
Chopping will results in small pieces being throughout the cake. Blending will result in more of an overall ginger taste without pieces. If using ginger powder, as called for in the recipe, it is nice to leave the fresh ginger a little chunky rather than smooth.

8. Combine wet ingredients (except zest)
Add the chopped or blended ginger, the blended orange, and the egg mixture into a bowl.
Stir until evening mixed.

9. Prepare dry ingredients
Sift the ginger powder, cinnamon powder, and baking powder into the almond meal. You may need to break up lumps in the almond meal, but a some lumps or clumps will not be an issue overall.
Mix in well until evenly distributed.

10. Combine dry and wet ingredients
Mix the the almond meal and wet ingredients together. Gently mix together just enough to make it consistent.

11. Thickener ?
If the batter looks to be on the wet side (which will depend on the size of your eggs and oranges) do one or more of the following in order to get the right consistency:
– Add more almond meal
– Add buckwheat flour
– Add coconut cream powder

If unsure of how thick to make it, it’s better to make it a little too thick than too thin. It is already quite a moist cake even when just right, so having a dryer mix shouldn’t be as much of an issue as a mix that is too wet.

12. Add zest in last
Gently stir in the citrus zest. It does not have to be thoroughly mixed in. Just enough that it’s distributed around the mixture.

13. Pour mix into baking paper lined 24 – 26cm springform tin and bake for 50 – 70 minutes at 180 to 185°C.
Alternatively you can use a well greased tin, although the cake will have a tendency to stick.
Do not use fan bake, as it may cook the outside of the cake too quickly.

14. Serve with your choice of creme fraiche, whipped cream, millet custard, coconut cream, coconut ice-cream, or vanilla ice-cream. A drizzle of Grand Marnier or some other citrus liqueur on the plate is a delicious touch.

Notes:

The cake will turn out nicer if you make the almond meal yourself. Fresh almond meal is moister and fluffier than “almond flour” or “almond meal” bought at a shop. Most almond meal is already going rancid. A good coffee/spice grinder will usually do the trick. A Tribest Personal Blender is my kitchen tool of choice for these things.

The cake will come out quite moist if not cooked long enough or if the batter was too runny.
If the top starts to brown before it is ready, you can cover the top with baking paper.
It is best if it has at least 50 minutes before the oven is opened, to prevent it from sinking.
If it still comes out too moist, make the batter thicker next time by adding more almond meal, of “thickener” (as per the recipe).
The batter should NOT be runny. When you pour it into the cake tin it should be thick enough that it takes time to level out or even requires a little shaking to level it out. If it levels out on its own (like a liquid) then it is too runny and will not cook correctly.
Simply put, it is better to have a batter that is overly thick than too runny.

This cake is delicious just as it is, although a nice lemon and/or orange glaze or sauce would certainly be a nice touch.
The cake is quite moist, but will firm up as it cools.

(Serves 12)

Recipe Serving NotesThe cake will turn out nicer if you make the almond meal yourself. Fresh almond meal is moister and a lot healthier than “almond flour” or “almond meal” bought at a shop. Most almond meal is already going rancid. A good coffee/spice grinder will usually do the trick. A Tribest Personal Blender is my kitchen tool of choice for these things.
Preparation NotesThe cake will come out quite moist if not cooked long enough or if the batter was too runny.
If the top starts to brown before it is ready, you can cover the top with baking paper.
It is best if it has at least 50 minutes before the oven is opened, to prevent it from sinking.
If it still comes out too moist, make the batter thicker next time by adding more almond meal, of “thickener” (as per the recipe).
The batter should NOT be runny. When you pour it into the cake tin check it is thick enough that it takes time to level out or even requires a little shaking to level it out. If it levels out on its own (like a liquid) then it is too runny and will not cook correctly.
Simply put, it is better to have a batter that is overly thick than too runny.
Cooking NotesThis cake is delicious just as it is, although a nice lemon and/or orange glaze or sauce would certainly be a nice touch.
The cake is quite moist, but will firm up as it cools.

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