Italian Gluten-Free Almond Orange Cake

Since we started Big Cravings, I’ve been devoting more time to Italian recipes. I don’t know why, but I simply love them! They’re simple, authentic, healthy (many of them, of course!), and simply delicious! When I saw this recipe with almonds and oranges as a base, I simply loved it and couldn’t wait to try it!

This Italian gluten-free almond orange cake is especially famous in Southern Italy, but why? Because that area had an immense abundance of almonds and citrus! In fact, these are two iconic ingredients in Southern Italy. So, why not combine business with pleasure and make a delicious almond orange cake?

Since I like to do things right, I decided to ask Alexandra Pavani, an experienced Italian cook, for help. She helped me develop this recipe so it would be perfect for you. Who better than an Italian to make an Italian recipe? She already helped me develop the Homemade Italian Pizza Dough recipe, which turned out spectacular, so I didn’t expect anything less from this recipe!

What You’ll Need

You won’t need many ingredients to make this recipe, as you might expect, because when we talk about traditional, old-fashioned recipes from a specific location, they’re rarely complex, because back then, they had to do the best they could with the minimum resources! I love that authenticity, don’t you? Let’s go!

• 2 cups almond flour (200 g) – It is essential to keep this cake originally gluten-free, and you cannot change it, because it will no longer be an authentic recipe
• 1 cup rice flour (140 g) – The texture will be lighter, smoother, it really helps to make the cake less dense
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (90 g) – It makes the cake sweeter. You can reduce the amount of sugar if you want to taste more of the orange and almond flavor
• 2 large eggs – Perfect for giving structure to cakes. If you have eggs from your own chickens, even better
• Zest and juice of 1 orange (about ½ cup total / 120 ml) – It is one of the main ingredients, so choose a good orange, very ripe and juicy
• ½ cup sunflower oil (120 ml) – It makes the cake fluffier and moister, I don’t recommend you skip this ingredient
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder (½ tablespoon) – Perfect for making your cake rise
• ½ cup almonds, roughly chopped (80 g) – It’s for decoration, but also to give that crunchy texture when you eat the cake
• Powdered sugar, for dusting – It looks beautiful in photos and also adds a bit of flavor

You know how I am; I like to use grams too, because I honestly think it’s a little better. There’s less room for error, don’t you think? But that’s just my opinion! I prefer to weigh everything on a scale for a more accurate recipe and less room for error. That said, it’s up to you whether you use grams or cups!

How To Make Italian Gluten-Free Almond Orange Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180ºC) in static mode. Line a 20 cm round cake pan with baking paper or lightly grease and dust it with rice flour.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy. Don’t rush this step, stir slowly and make sure you have a homogeneous mixture.

Time to add my favorite ingredient, orange! Add the orange zest and juice, then pour in the oil. Mix with a whisk until well combined. Add the almond flour, rice flour, and baking powder, like in the image below.

We’re almost done! Now, gently fold them in using a hand whisk or spatula until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the surface, and sprinkle the chopped almonds on top to make the cake more beautiful and with a crispier texture.

Now it’s the best part! You just need to bake for about 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (make sure it doesn’t hit a piece of almond).

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar and serve. You can be sure that if you follow all my steps you will end up with a cake just like mine, simple, beautiful and incredibly delicious!

These tips will make a difference!

When I asked Alexandra for help, I also asked for some tips to make this recipe even better. She gave me some great tips, tips I’ll share with you to help you make this recipe unforgettable!

• For a more indulgent version, add a handful of dark chocolate chips to the batter.
• If you love a stronger citrus flavor, you can add a few drops of food-grade sweet orange essential oil.
• If you want to make the cake even more appetizing, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or a pinch of cinnamon for warmth.
• If you want a really REALLY rich flavor, use orange puree instead of juice/zest in the batter. Boil a whole orange, peeled but seeded, until very soft. Blend it with a blender until it forms a sort of orange puree. You use this puree instead of juice and zest in the batter.

I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited to try the orange puree technique! I think it’s one of the best tips in this article, so if you want to try something different, give this one a try.

Let’s talk about storing the cake!

When I made this recipe, I admit I was expecting a slightly smaller cake. Since it’s just Jorge and I at home, it was too much cake for both of us to eat in just one day. So, since I know you might have the same “problem,” I’ll give you some tips on how to preserve this almond orange cake!

• If you only want to preserve the cake for a few days, you can store it in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for about 3 days. It’s best to store it in a sealed container or zip-top bag.
• If you want to keep your cake longer, the freezer is your only option! You need to let it cool, slice it, and freeze it (because you won’t be able to slice it frozen later, which will force you to thaw the whole cake at once). It will keep perfectly well for 2 months in the freezer; in fact, when you thaw it (at room temperature, without using a microwave, let it thaw slowly), you won’t even notice it was frozen!

As you can see, there’s no reason to spoil this cake, you can put it in the fridge for 3 days or freeze it, and it will stay fresh and delicious for 2 months!

I really hope you enjoyed this recipe. I worked hard to create a good, easy, and truly Italian recipe for you, so I really hope you enjoy it.

If you have any questions, let me know! Just leave a comment below, and I’ll be happy to answer!