Orange Cake

This whole orange cake is a simple yet elegant dessert that needs just 5 ingredients. Naturally gluten-free and ready in no time.

Looking for more simple cake recipes? Try my almond flour cake, lemon blueberry cake, and lemon olive oil cake next.

One of my favorite ways to transform classic desserts into lighter treats is to cut out the flour, and my orange cake recipe is one of my absolute favorites.

Instead, I use orange marmalade, eggs, sugar, and almond meal make up the decadent batter before it’s baked until fluffy and rich. It’s such a simple yet elegant cake that even a beginner cook can make it!

Table of Contents

1. Why I love this recipe
2. Ingredients needed
3. How to make an orange cake
4. Arman’s recipe tips
5. Storage instructions
6. Frequently asked questions
7. Orange Cake (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

• Perfect texture. Almond flour (or almond meal) is the secret to this cake’s light and fluffy texture. 
• It’s diet friendly. It is made with naturally gluten-free and dairy-free ingredients and relies solely on eggs for richness and moisture! No oil or butter is needed. 
• 5 easy ingredients. Count them yourself.

Ingredients needed

• Fresh oranges. Fresh organic oranges (rinds and all!) are boiled and then blended into a tasty homemade marmalade. Any kind of small or medium-sized orange should work well for the cake. Try using clementines, navel oranges, or tangerines.
• Eggs. Room temperature eggs to provide structure and stay moist.
• Sugar. Use white granulated sugar or cane sugar.
• Baking powder. To help the cake rise.
• Almond meal. Almond meal or blanched almond flour gives the cake a nice nutty flavor. Please do not substitute this for any other flour, as it won’t work.

How to make an orange cake

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1 – Boil the oranges. Place the whole oranges in a saucepan (orange zest and orange peel, too), cover them with water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes or until tender.

Step 2 – Chop and blend the oranges. Roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces. Transfer them to a blender or food processor, then blend until you have a marmalade-like puree.

Step 3 – Beat the eggs and sugar. Add the eggs and sugar to a mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Step 4 – Finish the batter. Gently stir the orange marmalade, almond meal, and baking powder in with the sugar and eggs until you have a smooth batter.

Step 5 – Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (a few crumbs are fine).

Step 6 – Slice and enjoy. Wait for the cake to cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Arman’s recipe tips

• Don’t peel the oranges. Because most of the orange flavor is in the rinds! If you peel the oranges before boiling and blending, your cake will not be balanced and will miss out on the beautiful orange flavors.
• Don’t overmix! Gently fold the dry and wet ingredients together with a spatula. Only mix until everything is just combined.
• Cool completely. The cake needs to be cooled completely before slicing, or else it may fall apart.
• For a more pronounced orange flavor, make an orange glaze combining orange juice and confectioners’ sugar.
• To make a layer cake, double the recipe and bake the batter in two 9-inch round cake pans. Spread a layer of vanilla or cream cheese frosting between the cake layers then slice and serve.
• Make an orange bundt cake by baking the cake in an 8-inch bundt cake pan.

Storage instructions

To store: Cover the cake and store it at room temperature for up to 1 week. It will last for a few days longer in the fridge.

To freeze: Wrap the cake in plastic or keep it in an airtight container, then freeze for up to 2 months.

Frequently asked questions

Originally published June 2023, updated and republished April 2024