Equipment
Ingredients
Fruit Base
- 2 navel oranges, whole, unpeeled
Cake Batter
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 200 g caster sugar
- 250 g almond meal, blanched or unblanched
- 5 g baking powder, certified gluten-free
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 344 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbohydrates
- 38 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 30 g
- Sodium
- 112 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 116 mg
- Potassium
- 345 mg
- Calcium
- 157 mg
- Iron
- 1.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 93 mg
- Phosphorus
- 236 mg
- Zinc
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 55 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 26 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 8.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.53 mg
- Niacin
- 1.3 mg
- Folate
- 43 mcg
- Water
- 63 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the whole, unpeeled oranges in a medium saucepan and cover entirely with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, ensuring the oranges remain submerged.
Drain the oranges and let them sit until cool enough to handle. Cut them into quarters and remove any seeds.
Place the orange quarters, skin and all, into a food processor. Process until a smooth puree forms.
Preheat the oven to 160C or 320F. Line the base and sides of a 20cm springform pan with baking paper.
In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and caster sugar together until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened.
Gently fold the orange puree, almond meal, and baking powder into the egg mixture until thoroughly combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake for 1 hour at 160C or 320F, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before carefully removing the sides of the springform pan to serve.
Chef's Notes
- Boiling the oranges whole performs a dual function: it extracts the harsh, astringent compounds from the pith while simultaneously softening the rind to a pectin-rich marmalade consistency that binds the flourless cake.
- For the absolute best texture, use fresh almond meal rather than highly processed, ultra-fine almond flour. The slight coarseness gives the cake its signature rustic bite.
- This dessert is a prime example of a cake that tastes significantly better on the second day. The essential oils from the orange peel continue to permeate and mature the crumb as it rests.
- Always double-check that your baking powder is certified gluten-free if you are serving this to guests with celiac disease, as some commercial brands use wheat starch as a filler.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container to maintain moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and foil before freezing.
Reheating: Bring to room temperature before serving, or microwave a slice for 10 seconds for a slightly warm crumb.
Troubleshooting
Cake has an overly bitter aftertaste
Cause: Oranges had excessively thick, bitter pith or were not boiled long enough
Fix: Serve slices with sweet whipped cream, vanilla bean ice cream, or a heavy dusting of icing sugar to balance the bitterness
Prevention: Select thin-skinned oranges like Navels and ensure they boil for the full 2 hours to extract bitterness
Cake center is wet and collapsed after cooling
Cause: Underbaked due to excessive moisture in the oranges
Fix: Cannot be completely fixed once cooled, but the edges will still be delicious. You can scoop the center and serve it as a pudding.
Prevention: Test the center with a wooden skewer rather than relying solely on time; very juicy oranges may require 10 to 15 extra minutes in the oven
Cultural Context
Originating from Sephardic Jewish traditions in the Iberian Peninsula, this flourless cake is a historical staple of Spanish and Mediterranean baking. The reliance on ground almonds instead of wheat flour originally made it a perfect Passover dessert. Today, it reflects the enduring Moorish agricultural influence in southern Spain, where abundant orange groves and almond orchards thrive side by side.
