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The Flavors of Jewish History

A Passover Cult Classic: Claudia Roden’s Almond Orange Cake

April 5, 2018

By all accounts, this is THE Passover cake. Claudia Roden’s almond orange cake, based on a traditional Sephardic recipe, is one of the most raved-about Jewish cakes out there.

As such, it had been on my list to try for years, but I always ended up passing this simple-sounding cake—consisting of little more than almonds, sugar, and oranges—for more immediately alluring recipes. Until now. This year, I decided, would be the year I tried Claudia Roden’s almond orange cake for myself.

So how was it? Did it live up to the hype?

First off, it’s extremely moist. Like, I cannot overstate just how moist this cake is. Roden herself describes it as pudding-like, and that’s right on. It was interesting, texturally, though my personal preference tends toward slightly drier/more solid cakes.

It’s also very sticky, so be sure to oil and dust your pan very well—including the lower rim, if you’re using a springform. The gooiness plus the stickiness made for a difficult time getting this one out of the pan, and I am sorry to report mine did not come out whole.

The flavor is pleasant; unsurprisingly, it tastes mostly of orange—and orange flower water, if you include it; a little bit of that stuff goes a long way! It’s also very sweet.

The recipe calls for two whole boiled, pureed oranges (deseeded, of course), and I was skeptical about putting all that peel and pith in my cake. I was steeling myself for something unappetizingly bitter, but it turns out the long boil really does remove most of the bitterness.

In conclusion: I liked Claudia Roden’s almond orange cake, but I didn’t absolutely love it. It’s by no means a bad cake, but in my opinion, it does not quite live up to the hype. It’s certainly not my favorite Passover cake I’ve made. I might make it again someday, but it’s not at the top of my list.

The original recipe calls for oranges (type not specified), but feel free to play around with your citrus selection. Nigella has a variation calling for 3 clementines in place of the oranges, and I’ve heard talk of making this cake with Meyer lemons, which sounds fabulous. I used navel oranges because that’s what I had on hand, and they worked just fine. And as an added bonus, I didn’t have to bother with removing any seeds.

I opted to serve this cake with my Spring Compote , which makes for a more dramatic presentation of what is otherwise a humble-looking cake, but it doesn’t really need any accompaniment and honestly I found the combined sweetness of the cake and the compote a little overwhelming. In retrospect I would’ve opted for fresh berries instead.

Before we get to the recipe, a little on the use of oranges in Sephardic cuisine: Oranges, which were brought to Spain by the Arabs around the middle of the 9th century, quickly emerged as a distinctive feature of Sephardic cuisine.

They most commonly featured in baked goods, like this cake, sometimes referred to as torta de los reyes . Oranges also feature in preserves, are cooked with chicken and cinnamon, and flavor custards—and some Sephardic harosets.

The recipe below is very slightly adapted from Claudia Roden’s original.

Claudia roden’s almond Orange Cake (Gâteau à l’orange)

2 oranges (approximately 200 grams’ worth)

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 tablespoon orange blossom water, optional

1 teaspoon baking powder, optional

1 ½ cups almonds, coarsely ground

Wash the oranges and boil them whole for 1 ½ hours or until they are very soft.

Oil a 9-inch round cake pan, preferably springform, and dust with matzah meal or additional ground almonds.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the orange-blossom water (if using), baking powder, and almonds, and mix well. Cut the oranges open and remove the seeds, then puree in a food processor.

Add the orange puree to the egg-and-almond mixture. Pour into pan. Bake for an hour, and let cool before removing from pan.

Sources:  The Book of Jewish Food  (Claudia Roden) ;  Encyclopedia of Jewish Food  (Gil Marks, 2010)

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Claudia Roden’s Orange and Almond Cake

By moira hodgson.

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Moira Hodgson rooted this classic out of Claudia Roden’s terrific cookbook, “Everything Tastes Better Outdoors,” and brought it to The Times in 1987: a flourless orange and almond cake that goes beautifully with blueberries or peaches, and is the perfect thing to carry along on a picnic. Extremely moist, it consists of two seeded oranges (peel and all), ground almonds, sugar and eggs – and no flour. Baked in a hot oven, it will be done in just about an hour or so, longer if the orange pulp is extremely wet. Opening the oven door to check will not harm it.

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Ingredients

• 2 large oranges
• ½ pound ground almonds
• ½ pound sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

274 calories; 14 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 27 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 73 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Preparation

Wash the oranges and simmer them, unpeeled, in water to cover for 2 hours. Cool, cut them open and remove the seeds. Puree the oranges, including the peel, in a food processor.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Beat the eggs in a food processor or large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, including the orange puree, and mix thoroughly. Pour into a buttered and floured cake tin, with a removable base if possible.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before turning out.

• This is a very moist cake and goes especially well with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines.

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Private Notes

Cooking notes.

Twice in three weeks, I've made this fail-proof cake, the second time with 3 Meyer lemons instead of the two oranges called for. Both times I used only 5 large eggs, 1 cup of sugar and 1 1/2 cups of ground almonds.

A little known secret.. Zap the two oranges in water on high in your microwave. 15 minutes would do it. This marvellous cake is awesome!!?

I appreciate the comments standardizing this recipe, and will add mine: • preheated oven to 375 degrees, not 400. • 9" springform pan • 5 extra-large eggs • 1 cup sugar • 2 cups ground almond meal -- from Trader Joe's (easy & fast!) • added 1/2 tsp salt, otherwise following the recipe w the oranges and baking powder • Baked 55 min. A simple, excellent cake. Sprinkled powdered sugar, rasperries and strawberries on top of slices. Will make again!

Cooking the oranges for 2 hours will make the rind and white pith into a rich soluble pectin, like making jams and jellies. No fruit has more pectin than citrus peel. So whatever recipe you use that makes use of whole boiled citrus, simmering for 2 hours before baking is what contributes to the rich moist texture. Pith and peel per orange varies greatly and will change texture and bake times from more or less pectin.

Decorating tip: when boiling the oranges, add cinnamon sticks and cloves to the water. Then use the leftover zesty liquid to make a glaze! (Bonus: makes your house smell like Christmas.) To about 4 tbsp of leftover liquid, add a squeeze of OJ and a splash of bourbon, and simmer to thicken. Let it cool, then whisk about a cup and a half of powdered sugar into it. Use as glaze for the baked the and cooled cake.

citrus fruit sold in stores are dipped in a vegetable wax that has some fungicide buried in it at the packing house. Even organic citrus is wax coated to delay molding. So make sure to wash and scrub your citrus with a stiff brush unless you picked it yourself. Not a bad idea for every citrus recipe that uses the rinds.

What is meant by "in water to cover"? The oranges float, so you cannot cover them with water.

A delicious cake that is healthier than most. I found the same recipe in Claudia Roden's The Book of Jewish Food (p. 599, Gateau a l'Orange or Orange Cake). In that book she gives 375 as the baking temperature. At 400 my cake seemed to be cooking and browning too quickly so I turned the oven back to 375. Probably depends on oven and pan.

This cake is fantastic and simple. A couple of changes that added to the incredibly moist cake: When pureeing the oranges whole, add 1/4 C Grand Marnier or Triple Sec. Also, I like to boil, puree and refrigerate the oranges a day (or two) before. It makes putting this cake together happen in just a few minutes. When the cake is finished top it with a thin Chocolate Chablon...nothing better than pairing orange with chocolate!

Excellent suggestion! Pressure cooking the oranges for 15 minutes should also do it. Recipes that, in this day and age, call for boiling ingredients for 2 hours, should always offer an alternative.

I made this cake for Passover and served it with fresh blueberries. Several of my guests described the cake as "unbelievable." I would certainly make the cake again, even outside of Passover. I followed the recipe ingredients exactly, using 1 and 1/8 cups of sugar and 2 scant cups of almond meal (I poured the almond meal into the cup as opposed to scooping it from the package). I baked the cake at 400F for 45 minutes, and the cake was perfect; an hour would have been too long.

I followed the recipe to a tee. The 1/2lb of sugar and almond flour turned out to be : 2 1/4 cup almond flour 1 cup sugar I topped the cake with a Chocolate Glaze (combine all over double boiler): 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract It tasted like a moist "chocolate-covered orange stick" cake. You know it's a hit when your guests ask to take some home :)

Keep the peel! We've updated the recipe to clarify.

The original recipe I found in my much yellowed Claudia Roden book from 1968, Vintage Books "A Book of Middle Eastern Food" page 413 says to use only 1/2 cup sugar. That's much much less than 1/2 lb! She also says to use 1 1/2 cups ground almonds and yes, leave orange peels on. Otherwise ingredients are the same.

What size cake pan? The recipe seems to indicate that the oranges are to be processed, peels and all. A comment states that an editor said that the peels should be discarded. Times, please clarify.

The cake came out moist and delicious but too sweet.

Thank you to the person who suggested simmering a third orange and then slicing it thinly to place as decoration gently on top of the batter before putting the cake into the oven. The beautiful shiny gold slices on the finished cake turned it into a showstopper.

The version in the NY Times Passover Recipes calls for separating the eggs. Has anyone done this, and would you recommend it?

Butter parchment paper. 2 cups of almond flour, one teaspoon of baking powder, one teaspoon of cardamom, half teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of almond extract, 1/4 cups of Grand Marnier, 6 eggs (separated), half a cup of sugar. Boil one lemon, one orange, and one mandarin for two hours. Beat the egg whites with 1/3 of sugar until stiff. Beat the yolks with the rest. Fold the egg whites. Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes. Let it cool. Decorate with powdered sugar and pistachios.

2 oranges = 600g

1/2 pound of sugar and almond flour is a lot! Is the recipe correct?

I used one naval orange and one Cara Cara. After I puréed them, and while the purée was still warm, the purée tasted so bitter I was wondering if I should use it. I planned to make the cake the following day, and after being refrigerated overnight the purée had just a hint of bitterness. Makes me wonder if/how temp and resting time affect bitterness?

2 large Cara Caras yielded 2.5c of puree. 2c almond meal, 1c sugar; beat 6 lg eggs for 7 minutes then slowly added the sugar. folded in orange, then dry (w/.5tsp cardamom). 45 minutes at 375 in 9" springform - but I should have checked! edges totally black, but just trimmed that off (underlying cake still moist) and tomorrow will cover with bittersweet chocolate glaze and serve with macerated berries and whipped cream. This will be a huge hit, the cake is moist and not at all too bitter.

I haven't seen anyone mention the stunning bitterness of this cake (apologies if this is buried somewhere). I'm using one cup of sugar like some of the comments suggest. I assume more sugar would mask some of this but I can't imagine it being completely disguised. I can see this being an acquired taste (it's not so bad with espresso) but I would never serve this to a guest. Fair warning..

Made this with the help of the comments (5 eggs, 1c sugar, almond flour, less "pithy" oranges) and love how it turned out. We wanted a dessert wine pairing and was recommended a Sauternes to try with it. Omg, what an amazing pairing with this cake. I highly recommend. We also used the leftover orange water to make a simple syrup from. We added some Cointreau and used that on the top to create a glaze.

This is a fabulous cake that is fun to make and super nutritious. I had a piece for bkf. and was full until lunchtime. I determined the nutrient breakdown based on the ingredients that I used: 2 cup almond flour 2 whole navel oranges 6 large eggs 3/4 cup erythritol (Swerve granular) 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt I used a 9" springform pan and divided into 8 pieces. For each piece: 238 calories 11 g protein 4 g sugar 5 g fiber 18 g fat 30 g carb

Some nice variations that I have been doing: - add 2 - 4 oz. of Amaretto to the puréed oranges - add 1/2 tbsp of Cardamom (I have a severe Cardamom obsession and will add it to almost anything) - use Minneolas instead of oranges - peel a few very thin strips of the outer skin layer off before boiling the oranges to get rid of the sometimes overly strong bitterness - Do all of the above which I just did and it was the best version of this cake I have made so far! Everybody loves this cake!

Excellent! I used 2 cups almond flour, 1/3 c Allulose, 1/3 c cane sugar. Boiled the oranges in the pressure cooker for 15 minutes with about 10 cloves and 2 cinnamon sticks and a pinch of saffron. We drank the remaining liquid as a tea. Topped the cake with barely sweetened whipped cream and raspberries

Quite disappointed in this cake. Flavor was fine, but consistency was just not as expected. Super eggy and wet..dense, but not in a good way. I used a scale so I’m sure my measurements weren’t off.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 mins. Then check. Continue cooking a few more minutes if not done Microwave the oranges in water, in covered casserole, water does not need to cover oranges. The oranges can be processed the day before. Cake can be made the day before.

Recipe Tags

• Times Classics
• Ground Almond

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Eating Jewish: Gâteau à l’Orange (Orange Cake)

Gâteau à l’Orange (Orange Cake).

Photo by Katherine Romanow.

I think it’s safe to say that most of us are pretty sick of winter at this point and if you’re lucky enough to live in a place where you don’t really experience winter, I envy you. This time of year is the one I like the least because despite knowing that spring is almost here, it just can’t come soon enough. We got a small taste of spring in Montreal last week but that was just a tease and we have since fallen back into cold winter weather. Yet, the one good thing about this time of year is the abundance of citrus that’s available. I’m a huge fan of citrus and I’ve eaten quite the variety over the last few months. While I love to bake with citrus, especially lemons and limes, I don’t include oranges in my baked goods as often as I should. So when my mom brought some deliciously sweet and juicy oranges over to my apartment (her bid to make sure I stay healthy), I knew I wanted to try baking with some of them.

As I was flipping through The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden over the weekend, I came across this recipe for Orange Cake that is popular in the Sephardi world. This was exactly the kind of recipe I was looking for, but what made it even more appealing was the information I found about the relationship between the Jewish community and oranges. When one thinks about the link between Jews and citrus, the first thing that will usually come to mind is the etrog, a central element in Sukkot celebrations. However, Jews also have a long history with the orange that extends far into the past.

In the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food , Gil Marks explains that although Arabs brought oranges along with revolutionary agriculture and irrigation techniques to Western Europe, Jews also played a central role in the cultivation of citrus in Europe. The etrog was of prime importance to the community but they also added new species to their crops when they became available. “It was by no coincidence that the centers of medieval citrus cultivation directly corresponded to the centers of Jewish population.”  Sephardim were among the first wholesalers and distributors of citrus, while Ashkenazi peddlers began selling oranges in various places across Europe in the nineteenth century. With citrus being central to the livelihood of many Sephardic Jews, it also became an important part of their cooking with oranges in particular emerging as a distinctive ingredient. They were most often used in baked goods, yet they were also used to make preserves, poached in sugar syrup, used to make custard, or cooked into savory dishes with chicken and cinnamon. In more recent times this relationship with oranges has continued with the Jaffa orange, which has been an important and popular product of Israel.

This is a cake I will definitely be making again and again, whether it be for a special dinner or a casual get together with friends. What I like most about this recipe is the way in which the oranges are incorporated into the cake. Unlike most other recipes I’ve come across, not only is the zest and the juice of the orange used to flavor the cake but rather the entire fruit. Once the oranges have been boiled for an hour and a half and have become very soft, they are pureed and added to the mixture of eggs, sugar, orange blossom water and coarsely chopped blanched almonds. After being baked, the resulting cake is supremely moist, almost pudding like in consistency, with the chopped almonds providing a welcome crunch. The taste of orange is unmistakable as soon as you bite into this cake. However, unlike the bright flavor that’s imparted when using the zest and the juice of an orange, what you get here is a deep, rich orange flavor with a mild bitterness, akin to the taste of marmalade. Finally, the orange blossom water provides a subtle floral note. This is a lovely everyday cake that would be equally delicious topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream at the end of a meal.

I hope that this cake will help you forget about the cold outside, and help make the last days of winter that much more bearable.

Gâteau à l’Orange (Orange Cake) From Claudia Roden’s The Book of Jewish Food

2 oranges 6 eggs 1 ¼ cups sugar 2 tablespoons orange blossom water 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 ½ cups blanched almonds, coarsely ground

Wash the oranges and boil them whole for 1 ½ hours, or until they are very soft.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the orange-blossom water, baking powder, and almonds, mix well.

Cut open the oranges, remove the seeds, and puree in a food processor (I used a hand blender which worked just as well). Mix thoroughly with the egg-and-almond mixture and pour into a 9-inch oiled cake pan dusted with matzo meal or flour-preferably non-stick and with a removable base.

Bake for an hour and let cool before turning out.

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How is this kosher for Passover? It has baking powder in it.

In reply to <p>How is this kosher for by Anonymous

See https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/dining/05leav.html

Dear Katherine,

Although I am Irish/Australian rather than Jewish, I love and appreciate Jewish recipes. This is one of my favourites and my friends (Jewish and non-Jewish alike) also love this wonderful cake! We Irish adore food and when in Ireland I have made this cake many times for my appreciative family.

Kind regards, Eithne

Yael-Adding a chocolate drizzle to this cake is a great idea that I think would make it even more delicious and the perfect ending to a holiday meal.

Roberta-That's exactly why I wanted to write about this cake on the blog. I thought that its history and connection to the Jewish community was fascinating. Knowing about the history behind the recipes I'm making makes the cooking/baking process all that much more meaningful.

I also have made this delicious cake for Passover. Part of what makes the baking process so enjoyable are the histories that Claudia Roden and Gil Marks present in their books. Finding the historical link connects us to yet another Jewish food tradition.

I have made it for years in a row for Pesach , as it is a non-patchke recipe and gets raves from everyone. Especially since i make an extra layer of chocolate frosting ( melted cocolate , butter and some water) over it .

Yes, I read that Nigella Lawson had a similar recipe to this one so it must have been from her. I think it would be delicious to use a combination of citrus in this cake (perhaps a combination of different oranges would work as well). Seville oranges are quite sour so they could also be used to add a bit of acidity to the cake.

I made a similar recipe recently using clementines (I think it was a nigella lawson recipe). It takes about a pound by weight of citrus fruits - I think that next time I will add in a lemon for a little acidity.

There are two other great things about this cake: It's gluten free and good for Passover.

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How to cite this page

Romanow, Katherine. "Eating Jewish: Gâteau à l’Orange (Orange Cake)." 3 March 2011. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on April 27, 2024) <http://jwa.org/blog/eating-jewish-gateau-a-lorange>.

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Eretz Yisrael Cake with Orange, Dates, and Marzipan

This cake uses ingredients commonly found-and associated with-the Land of Israel.

By Joan Nathan

Reprinted with permission from The Foods of Israel Today (Knopf).

Israeli chef Celia Regev created this orange cake to incorporate all the ingredients she loves from her adopted land. You can substitute store-bought marzipan, although Celia makes her own from almonds, sugar, and egg whites. Marzipan was used in the Middle East as early as the fifth century C.E. Always a delicacy of the Jews, it was also, according to Muslim tradition, a particular favorite of the prophet Mohammed.

Ingredients

1 cup finely ground almonds or almond flour

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped

3/4 cup orange juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

grated zest of 2 oranges

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup marzipan (store bought or homemade)

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup candied citrus peel, chopped

Place the sugar, marzipan, and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle; beat to break up the marzipan until it is the texture of sand.

Replace the paddle with the whisk and add the eggs to the marzipan mixture. Whisk until light, fluffy, and pale yellow in color.

Take 2 tablespoons of the flour and sprinkle over the dates and candied citrus peel in a small bowl. This flour coating prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the batter.

Sift the remaining flour, the baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.

Replace the whisk with the paddle and add the sifted dry ingredients, orange juice, and melted butter to the marzipan-egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Don't overmix-the batter should be soft and creamy. Fold in the dates and citrus peel.

Pour the batter into the springform mold, tap the mold a couple of times against the counter to remove the air bubbles, and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 40 minutes.

To make marzipan: Place the almonds and sugar in a food processor equipped with a steel blade and process, adding just enough egg white to bind the sugar and the almonds together.

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Claudia Roden’s recipe for orange and almond cake

A delicious treat with Mediterranean/Middle Eastern origins

• The 20 best recipes by Claudia Roden – in full

T he recipe for this Sephardi Passover cake was given to me in 1960 by a woman of my parents’ age who had moved from Aleppo to Egypt, but the cake is neither Syrian nor Egyptian. I have traced its passage from Andalucia, through Portugal and Livorno in Italy, to Aleppo where families of Iberian origin were seen as “grandees” ( signorim ) in the Jewish community.

Serves 12 oranges 2 large eggs 6 ground almonds 250g caster sugar 250g baking powder 1 tsp butter and flour for the cake tin

Wash and boil the oranges unpeeled, in a little water for 1½ to 2 hours until they are very soft. Let them cool, then cut them open and remove the pips. Turn the oranges into a puree in a food processor.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients, mix thoroughly and pour into a buttered and floured cake tin, preferably non-stick with a removable base. Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (170C fan/gas mark 5) for about 1 hour. If it is still very wet, leave it in the oven for a little longer. Cool in the tin before turning out. This is a very moist cake that may serve as a dessert.

From A New Book of Middle Eastern Food (Penguin, £25) . To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com

• Observer Food Monthly's 20 best recipes
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Jewish Journal

Connect. inform. inspire., the essence of almond cake.

• By Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff
• Published December 2, 2021

Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff

Many, many years ago, whenever my grandparents would land at LAX from Sydney, Australia, their first stop was at the Culver City cottage of Trinh Le. Trinh Le was a petite old lady who packed a powerful punch. She was a devout Buddhist who had run an orphanage in Vietnam. Widowed in the Vietnam War, she brought her daughter and orphaned niece to Los Angeles, where she became acupuncturist to the stars. Madonna was a regular and Sylvester Stallone would fly her to be on location whenever he was making a Rambo movie.  

One hot day, I dropped my grandparents for an appointment at Trin Le’s house. I greeted her “I really want to lose weight.”

“No bread, no pasta for you!” she replied in her blunt, no nonsense way.  

That night, Rachel and I were walking on the Third Street Promenade and I relayed the story. “She said no bread and no pasta. Do you think I can eat cake?” I joked.  

Over the years, Trinh Le helped Rachel and I and some of our friends on our journeys to motherhood.  

Then she retired to devote herself to her Buddhist worship and her garden. I needed to find a new acupuncturist for my last pregnancy. My husband decided he also wanted to try acupuncture in an effort to lose weight and boost his immunity. The new acupuncturist told him the same thing. No bread. No pasta. No white flour.  

Alan is much more disciplined than I and he began living a (mostly) gluten-free life. Ezekiel bread became his best friend. And I had to change my baking repertoire.  

For desserts, I started making a fabulous chocolate torte, pavlova with berries, Rocky Road and chocolate bark. I explored baking with almond flour. I made plain almond cakes and almond cakes with dried apricots and crushed walnuts, pecans and pistachios. Following in the footsteps of many Sephardic bakers before me, I always used orange juice as the liquid in my cakes. — Sharon

About ten years ago, I was at my cousin Rachel’s home for Thanksgiving and one of the guests, Fabienne, brought the most delicious almond cake. She is an amazing baker who prepares the desserts at Shiloh’s Steakhouse on Pico Boulevard, where her beautiful and talented daughter Chloe Nesbuth is the executive chef.

Fabienne graciously gave me the recipe and I started baking almond cakes all the time. Over the years, I’ve adjusted the recipe to make the cake bigger by adding more eggs and more almond flour and a bit healthier by using a little less sugar.

My daughter Rebekah took over the baking in our house. Hers is even better than mine, more like the famous and very popular French almond cake Financier.

Of course, in France the cake is made with delicious butter which we can’t use. Rebekah likes to make hers with coconut oil, but the recipe works with avocado oil as well.

For centuries, Sephardic women have soaked almonds and ground them to make almond cakes.

I’m sure Trinh Le would have approved of almond cake (occasionally)! — Rachel

Almond Cake Recipe

4 large eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup coconut or avocado oil 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 cups almond flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Confectioners sugar, for garnish

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, then add sugar.
• Beat to a creamy consistency, then add oil and mix well.
• Add almond extract, almond flour and baking powder and mix to a smooth batter.
• Pour the batter into a springform cake pan lined with parchment paper.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
• Let cool and sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

Tips Vary the flavor of this cake by adding lemon zest, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, dried fruit or nuts.

Perfect for Passover and gluten-free guests.

Rachel Sheff and Sharon Gomperts have been friends since high school. They love cooking and sharing recipes. They have collaborated on Sephardic Educational Center projects and community cooking classes. Follow them on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food. Website: sephardicspicegirls.com/full-recipes

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• Geoffrey Zakarian

Almond Orange Cake

• Level: Easy
• Total: 1 hr 45 min (includes cooling time)
• Active: 35 min
• Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Deselect All

Unsalted butter, for greasing

4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened plain almond milk

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 cups finely ground blanched almond flour

1/2 cup raw (skin-on) sliced almonds

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Special equipment:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease the sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with butter, then line the bottom with a parchment paper circle. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and granulated sugar until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Add the zest, salt, milk and almond extract and beat until incorporated. Transfer to a large bowl and fold in the almond flour.
• Wash and dry the bowl and whisk of the mixer thoroughly. Add the egg whites to the clean bowl and beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Add a third of the whipped whites to the yolk mixture and mix well. Add the remaining two-thirds of the whites and fold until just combined.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared springform pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds and transfer to a sheet pan. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the springform pan to a wire rack and let cool. Remove the sides of the pan, then use an offset spatula to remove the springform bottom, peel off the parchment and transfer to a cake plate; alternately, invert the cake onto a plate, remove the parchment, and invert again onto a cake plate (you may lose a few almonds this way).
• In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon and ginger. Dust the cake with the spiced sugar mixture and serve.

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Gluten Free , Cakes

Moist Orange and Almond Cake – Flourless

Orange and Almond Cake is moreish, moist, nutty and deeply orangy in flavour. It is a cake that we feel should be in every cook’s repertoire, if you haven’t come across this famous cake till now you’re in for a real treat. Flourless, gluten and dairy free too, it ticks a lot of boxes.

Orange and almond cake is a wonderfully moist cake because of the oranges and rich almond meal. By adding the whole fruit you get all of the oils which you’d think would be bitter, but gives the cake a fantastic depth of intense orange flavour.

You then throw everything into a food processor and blitz away. It might take a bit of time with the boiling of the oranges, but no real effort is required for a 10/10 cake. We love this Orange and Almond Cake!

Claudia Roden Orange Cake

Egyptian born Claudia Roden first introduced this orange and almond cake to the world in her 1968 cookbook ‘Book of Middle Eastern Food’. This cake was originally created for Passover, hence the use of almond meal (flour) instead of wheat flour.

At a Glance This Is What You Need To Make Orange and Almond Cake

Almond Meal Caster Sugar Baking Powder Egg

Shopping List

Oranges Slivered Almonds (optional) Flaked Almonds (optional) Orange Marmalade

Why Do You Boil The Oranges

Orange and almond cake is made with whole oranges, not just a little grated orange rind to flavour the batter. The oranges are boiled whole till tender then blitzed, rind and all in a food processor along with the other ingredients.

Boiling the oranges softens the peel, mellows the pith’s bitterness and intensifies the orange flavour. The depth of flavour seems to become more concentrated after a day or so.

We Use The Whole Orange, So Let’s Get Started

What Is Almond Meal

Depending on where you call home, almond meal is known by different names. Almond flour and ground almonds are the same thing. If in doubt check the label and you want to see 100% almonds on it. You can make your own by blitzing whole blanched almonds. All that is needed is a blender and a few minutes. It’s best to do about a cup at a time otherwise the blender blade will invariably get clogged. Blitz almonds until they’re a fine sandy texture and you’re good to go.

Finish The Batter And Bake That Cake!

How to Serve

We love to serve an orange marmalade with this cake. Put 1/4 cup of orange marmalade in a small saucepan and add some fresh orange juice or water to thin it out a little. Heat marmalade gently and whisk till the liquid is incorporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Serve with the cake and fresh whipped cream. Delish!

How to Store Orange and Almond Cake

Orange and almond cake is best kept refrigerated in an airtight container. The cake will keep happily for a week.

Can I Freeze Orange And Almond Cake

Yes you can and it freezes beautifully. Wrap the whole cake or slices in cling film then cover tightly with tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Remove cake from freezer and either thaw in the refrigerator, or leave on the kitchen bench.

Watch How To Make Orange and Almond Cake

Still Hungry?

 subscribe to our newsletter and follow along on  p interest , facebook , twitter and instagram  for all of the latest updates., don’t forget to rate this recipe and let us know what you thought when you make this fabulous moist orange and almond cake in the reviews below. .

Orange and Almond Cake

Orange and Almond Cake is very moist, nutty and orangy. The cake can be made in a food processor providing it has a large capacity bowl or with a bowl, using a stick blender and cutting the oranges into smaller pieces.

Cake freezes extremely well and will keep for a week in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

• 2 large or 3 small oranges
• 375g (13 ounces) almond meal (almond flour)
• 325g (11 1/2 ounces) caster sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 6 large eggs
• 50g (2 ounces) slivered almonds, optional - see notes
• 1/4 cup orange marmalade

Instructions

• boil oranges in water for an hour or until they are very tender
• remove oranges from water and cut into quarters, removing any pips and allow to cool
• preheat oven to 180c (355f) on bake, not fan
• grease a 23 cm (9 inch) springform pan, and line the base with baking paper
• in a food processor beat the eggs and sugar for 2-3 minutes until pale
• add oranges and baking powder  and whizz until oranges are thoroughly mixed in (1-2 minutes)
• add almond meal (flour ) and blend till mixed through.
• add the slivered  almonds (optional - if using) and either pulse once or twice with the food processor or stir until just combined
• pour mixture into springform pan
• bake on middle shelf for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer comes away clean - see notes below
• remove cake from oven and allow to cool in tin for 30 minutes
• run a knife around the inside of the pan and release side of pan leaving cake to cool down on the base of the pan
• glaze the top of the cake with orange marmalade mixed with a little water or orange juice just to thin it out - optional
• transfer cake to a serving plate
• serve and enjoy! - see notes
• cook time can vary slightly depending on the size of your oranges - so take the cook time as a guide only
• use the whole orange, peel and fruit
• you don't need a food processor, anything that can blend the whole oranges into a puree will do and the rest can be finished with a hand mixer
• slivered almonds are optional. We love the texture that they bring, but please feel free to leave them out
• we like to serve this cake with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of orange marmalade that has been mixed with a little fresh orange juice or water to thin it down

Nutrition Information

Serving size.

Nutritional information provided here is only intended as a guide.

Finally, we caught Cooper in the act of digging a hole……at last!

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16 comments

So, I’m planning to make this one this week. Only issue is that I don’t have a food processor, just a nutri-bullet. I’m planning to use the nutri-bullet to process the oranges and use my hand-mixer for everything else. Do you think that will work okay? I assume because it’s gluten-free I don’t have to worry about over/under mixing, based on what I have learned from binging Bake Off in quarantine.

Hi Emma, basically the oranges need to be whizzed up to a puree and then added to the other ingredients. So yes, we feel you can successfully make this cake with the equipment you have. Let us know how you go when you make this delicious cake. Regards, Jo and Jen

I made this last week and it turned out amazing! It was even better the next day onwards. Using the nutri-bullet to puree the oranges worked perfectly. I used a hand-mixer for the eggs & sugar, then folded in the almond meal with a spatula. One thing I noticed: in the ingredients you have “baking powder” but in the instructions is “bicarb soda”. I went with bicarb soda so hopefully that’s what you meant!

Emma, Emma, Emma…….. think we need to adopt you as our proof reader :), the recipe should have called for baking powder. So sorry for the confusion and thank you for the wonderful review and rating. Jo an Jen PS Love what you’ve done with your hair!

This really was such an easy cake, and truly delightful! I took the easy way out and used 13 oz of canned mandarin oranges drained. Could not have been easier! 10/10

Hi Ron, what a great idea to save time. Thanks for commenting, Jo nd Jen

Brilliant!!!!!!

Isn’t it! Thanks for commenting, Jo and Jen

Hello. My brother requested an orange almond cake as a belated birthday cake. I found this recipe while doing research. 🙂 Will this cake work as a layer cake? Would I simply triple the recipe for a 3 layer 9 inch cake? If so, what fillings/frostings would you recommend? Orange marmalade , cranberry marmalade, almond buttercream, orange buttercream, vanilla buttercream? Others? Thank you in advance!

Hi Emily, The recipe makes a large cake. If you want a layer cake you could either halve the cake, or make 2 cakes and join them together. The cake is packed full of flavour and we like to serve it with just marmalade that has been thinned a little and fresh whipped cream. Orange butter cream sounds nice though, so please let us know how your lucky brother enjoys his birthday cake. Regards, Jo and Jen

So, no olive oil or fat of any kind?

Hi Leslie, no fat or oil at all. It’s a winner of a cake. Hope you enjoy it. Regards, Jo and Jen

Hi My daughter has recently been diagnosed T1 diabetic. Hope it’s good for her. Trying it out now, but my orange has split whilst simmering . Will it still work?

Hello Ruth, the orange will be fine even if split, just blitz it re the recipe. Hope you enjoy. Regards, Jo and Jen

Hi, love this recipe! Any idea how I can make it egg free?

Hello Fatima, we’ve not made it egg free but a quick google search brings up a number of recipes. All the best Jo and Jen

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www.sbs.com.au/food

Baby orange and almond cakes

Baby cakes are great for dessert as they can be cooked in advance, saving you the drama of any last-minute assembling. these cakes are superb after a mediterranean-influenced meal as they’re rich, moist, and full of citrus flavour..

preparation

Ingredients

Instructions, cook's notes.

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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