Hey guys! So, I’m working on my manuscript this week, which means that I haven’t had time to do much reading. I started Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman, and I’m really loving it even though I’m only, like, five pages in. Josh Malerman wowed me last year when I finally read his 2009 novel Bird Box, and I’m totes excited for this new one from him. However, I had to take a break from it this week because I don’t like to read something by another author when I’m working on my own novel. All should be back to normal next week, though, and I’ll have another book review + book-inspired recipe to share with you!
That said, I do have a stand-alone recipe to post today. I work from home on Fridays, and in the afternoons I try to visit my best friend to spend time with her and her kiddos. I like to bring homemade treats with me (I am training these kids to know from a young age that Auntie CJ = baked goods), so I whipped this cake up one afternoon during my lunch break to take with me. Which brings me to my favorite part about this cake:
I made it in one hour.
ONE HOUR.
From beginning to end. I started separating eggs at 12pm, and I was pulling the finished cake out of the oven at 1pm. All I had to do was dust it with some powdered sugar once it had cooled completely, which happened to be just before I left the house, and I was all set to head over to my friend’s with a homemade treat.
I have to admit, I’m pretty in awe of the presentation level of this thing. It’s a work of art. It looks like you spent all day making it (or like you bought it from a fancy bakery), when in reality it’s one of the easiest cakes I’ve ever made. I think the powdered sugar has something to do with it.
Full disclosure: I decided to make this recipe because I wanted to buy almond flour for another recipe (almond flour-crusted trout, which will NOT be making an appearance on this blog), and since that stuff is so darn expensive, I needed another recipe using almond flour to justify the nigh-$12 cost of the relatively small, 16 oz bag from the slightly overpriced health food store near my home.
What sealed the deal is that this recipe is from the now-defunct Cooking Light magazine, which makes me feel way better about having a slice (or two, or three) of cake before I have dinner. I mean, if it’s from a magazine designed to help you eat healthy, it’s got to be good for you, right?
Yes. Don’t argue.
The taste is incredibly delicious—the fresh, citrus zing from the orange mixed with the delicate almond flavor is a fantastic combination. The cake is light and airy, but the texture is also pleasantly gritty due to the almond flour.
The almond flour is actually the only flour in the recipe; there’s no all-purpose flour involved at all! Which means you’re not standing next to your mixer for hours (okay, minutes), waiting to incorporate small batches of flour into the batter. I don’t know about you, but that process drives me nuts. It’s necessary for most cakes, don’t get me wrong. But it drives me crazy. I’m so not a patient baker.
All you have to do with this recipe is fold in the almond flour, so it’s extremely low maintenance. This recipe also uses whipped egg whites, which I know can seem a bit daunting to make, but if you have a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer with a whisk attachment, they are actually incredibly easy. (If you use a hand-mixer, don’t worry – whipping egg whites into stiff peaks is still really simple, but it will take a bit longer.)
I forgot to take pics as I was mixing up all the ingredients, but I did remember to take a pic of the cake right before I put it into the oven. I love how you can see all the almond flour flecks in the batter, and that ring of almonds just makes it look elegant, even before it’s baked.
When this comes out of the oven, the top will be a deep golden brown, and it will be really poofy. As the cake cools, it will sink in a bit on itself, and that’s fine; it’s what it’s supposed to do. I pulled my cake out after about 35 minutes, and while it was fully cooked when I cut into it, it could have used another 3-4 minutes in the oven to really firm up.
It was a warm day outside, so my friend and I were able to enjoy our cuppa tea and slice of Orange Almond Cake on her back porch, which really is the best way to enjoy a mid-day Friday dessert.
Easy Orange Almond Flour Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 6 eggs, with the yolks and whites separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar, DIVIDED
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 1/2 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- powdered sugar (optional, for decorating)
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- Zest, then juice your orange(s).
- Separate the eggs, placing the egg whites in one bowl and the egg yolks in another.
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
- You can use either a stand mixer (recommended)or a hand mixer, but either way you should use the WHISK attachment for this part: Beat the egg whites on medium speed until they are foamy, then increase speed to high. Add in ½ cup of granulated sugar – 1 tablespoon at a time!! –until stiff peaks form. Place the beaten egg whites in a separate bowl and set aside.
- You can use either a stand mixer (recommended)or a hand mixer, but either way you should use the PADDLE/beaters attachment for this part: Beat the egg yolks and the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar on medium speed until mixture is pale and creamy.
- Add the orange juice, orange zest, almond extract, and salt to the egg yolk mixture, then beat on low until incorporated.
- Use a spatula to fold in the almond flour to the egg yolk mixture.
- Take 1/3 of the egg whites and fold them carefully into the egg yolk mixture. Repeat this process with another 1/3 of the egg whites, then with the remaining 1/3 egg whites until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. DO NOT OVERMIX or you will risk deflating the egg whites.
- Scrape the cake batter into the prepared springform pan. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the batter around the edge of the pan to create a ring pattern, or sprinkle in any pattern you like over the batter.
- Bake Orange Almond Cake at 350F for 35-40 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center.
- Remove Orange Almond Cake from oven and place on a cooling rack. Immediately run a butter knife around the inside of the pan to separate the cake from the edges of the pan.
- Let cake cool 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove the outer ring/sides of the pan.
- Let Orange Almond Cake cool completely for dusting with powdered sugar (optional) and serving.
