By: Jessica Holmes
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
A deliciously moist and tender Gluten Free Orange Cake. This simple and easy cake is made with fresh oranges and has no weird ingredients. No one will guess this lovely Orange Almond Cake is gluten free!
The perfect Gluten Free Orange Cake right here 👆🏻
Jump to:
I’m so excited to share this lovely cake recipe with you. It boasts a soft and tender crumb with a crisp crust, and it’s bursting with real orange flavour.
Made with gluten free flour, a little almond meal, and plenty of fresh oranges, no one will guess this simple cake is gluten free.
While I’m not gluten intolerant (obvs), I do have friends and family that are. So I’m always on the hunt for good gluten free bakes. And while I love to whip out my favourite fudgy Gluten Free Brownies, sometimes I feel like something light and zesty.
So here she is. A perfectly buttery cake bursting with orange flavour. It’s soft and moist – not dry or dense like some gluten free bakes can be. Honestly, I absolutely love this cake!
And just like my favourite vegan bakes, this recipe doesn’t call for any hard to find ingredients. Win win!
Why you will love this cake
- It’s easy to make, and you don’t need any weird ingredients
- It has a soft and tender crumb (no one will guess it’s gluten free)
- You can serve it with cream, yogurt or berries
What you will need
- Butter: Make sure your butter is lovely and soft. This will make it easier to correctly cream it with your sugar. If you use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.
- Caster sugar: If you don’t have caster sugar, use granulated sugar instead.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds a little extra flavour.
- Eggs: Make sure your eggs are at room temperature too, that way they’ll easily combine with your cake mixture.
- Gluten free plain flour: I tested this recipe using White Wings Gluten Free Plain Flour.
- Almond meal: Orange and almond are the perfect pair, and this little bit of almond meal helps create a soft and tender texture, with just hint of nuttiness.
- Baking powder: A little bit of baking powder adds lift.
- Orange zest and juice: Freshly grated orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice add oodles of real flavour.
- Milk: I recommend using full fat or whole milk as it adds moisture and fat to create the perfect cake.
How to make gluten free orange cake
Taking inspiration from my go-to Pound Cake recipe, this loaf cake begins by creaming together butter and sugar. This step is very important in creating a light and soft cake with a buttery crumb. Be careful not to over mix the final cake batter and you’ll be rewarded with a beautifully tender, gluten free cake.
- Begin by beating together your butter, sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer on medium speed. Since your butter is already soft, it should only take a few minutes for your butter to turn pale, creamy and fluffy. This step is called ‘creaming’.
- Next, add your eggs, one at a time, while continuing to mix on low speed. Don’t worry if your mixture looks a bit curdled or lumpy here – it’ll all come together when you add the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before moving on to the next step.
- Add flour, almond meal, baking powder and freshly grated orange zest. Continue to mix on low speed.
- Finally, add freshly squeezed orange juice and milk. Continue to mix just until you have a lovely smooth and thick cake batter. Try not to over mix.
- Transfer cake batter to cake pan and bake for an hour or so, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. If the outside is browning too much at the 50-55 minute mark, consider covering the top with a piece of aluminium foil while the middle continues to cook.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use another type of flour?
For best results, I recommend following the recipe as it is written. I have only tested this recipe with gluten free plain flour.
How do I make sure my cake is soft and tender?
The texture of this cake will largely depend on the first step: correctly creaming the butter and sugar. Make sure your butter is soft to begin with and don’t stop before your butter turns pale, creamy and fluffy. Also don’t turn your mixer up higher than medium speed, otherwise your cake will have gluey dense bits in it.
Can I leave out the almond meal?
I don’t recommend leaving it out as it helps create this perfect crumb – plus orange and almond are the perfect pair!
More gluten free bakes
- Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies
- Pecan Almond Cookies
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe andleave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me onInstagram,Facebook,PinterestandTwitterfor more amazing recipe ideas.
Let’s Bake
Gluten Free Orange Cake
Yield Makes 8–10 thick slices 1x
Prep: 25Cook: 65Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
A soft and tender Orange Almond Cake that’s gluten free.
Print Rate
Ingredients
- 230 grams (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened*
- 200 grams (1 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoonvanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2cups) gluten free plain flour or all purpose flour*
- 50 grams (1/2 cup) almond meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 3 tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) full fat or whole milk, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 C (340 F) standard / 150 C (300 F) fan-forced. Grease and line a 9 by 5 loaf pan with baking or parchment paper, ensuring two sides overhang.
- In a large mixing bowl, add butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined and then turn speed up to medium and beat for a further 1-2 minutes or until butter turns pale, creamy and almost fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and beat briefly to combine – don’t worry if the mixture goes a little bit lumpy at this stage – then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt and orange zest. Start to mix together on a low speed. Add orange juice and milk. Continue to mix until the cake batter is smooth and creamy (but try not to over mix).
- Pour cake batter into your prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for approximately 60-65 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. If your cake is very brown after 55 minutes, loosely cover the top with aluminum foil.
Notes
Flour: I tested this recipe using White Wings Gluten Free Plain Flour. If you don’t have access to this brand, I recommend using a gluten free plain our all purpose flour that says it bakes like regular flour.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1 slice Calories: 261 Sugar: 21.9 g Sodium: 260.7 mg Fat: 13.1 g Carbohydrates: 26.8 g Protein: 7.2 g Cholesterol: 63.5 mg
Nutrition information is a guide only.
Author: Jessica HolmesCategory: CakeCuisine: Australian
Recipe Card powered by
MORE BAKES YOU'LL LOVE
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- See AlsoCoffee Bean Cookies - One Happy BiteDark Chocolate Fudge Bars (Toasted Pistachio & Raspberry) | Gina BurgessPerfect Sugar Cookie RecipeHow To Make The Best Traditional Fruit Mince Pies
Chocolate Orange Cake
Vegan Vanilla Cake
Eggless Chocolate Cake (Vegan)
Free ebook
our favourite easy cakes
Sign up to the sweet club and we'll send our one layer cakes ebook straight to your inbox.
Reader Interactions
Leave a Comment
Sandi Monaghan says
Thank you so much. This is such a great recipe – followed it to the letter and it turned out perfectly. I used Woolworths brand gf flour. I also needed to bake it a good 10 mins more.
Reply
Jessica Holmes says
Oh that’s wonderful to hear Sandi! And thank you for the feedback on cook time!
Reply
Lauren says
Lovely orange cake, needed slightly more flour but that may of been the brand of gluten free flour I had available/also made it dairy free. Will be trying more of the gluten free recipes. Thank you!
Reply
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad to hear that Lauren! It is a bit tricky with all the different brands of gf flour being so different. But I’m glad it worked out!
Reply
Emerson says
This recipe made my mom who has a gluten allergy SO HAPPY! She loves to have something to snack on once in a while and this, this made her so happy she called her mom! I’m super duper excited to use this recipe again, substituting the orange for some other fun flavour. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Reply
Jessica Holmes says
Aw that brings me so much joy Emerson! I’m so glad your mum enjoyed it!
Reply
Elena says
I would like to try this recipe, but i don’t require it to be gluten free. Will the consistency of the cake still be good if i simply replace the gluten free flour with normal plain flour?
Reply
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Elena, I haven’t actually tested this exact cake with regular flour, but yes I think it would work! If you do try it, let me know how it goes.
Reply
Kim says
Can I use almond flour instead of almond meal? Thx!
Reply
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Kim, I haven’t tried so I’m not sure I’m sorry! If you do try it, let me know how it goes.
Reply
Jasmine says
I am new to baking and the gluten free world as my new husband has a gluten allergy. This recipe was amazing and got me excited for more gluten free bakes!!!
Reply
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Jasmine! You’ll have to try my gf brownies next!
Reply
Bianca says
Super soft and delicious! I was amazed at how it didn’t taste like a typical gluten free cake. I adapted the recipe to be dairy free by substituting the butter for Nuttalex and the milk for almond milk and it turned out perfect.
Reply
Jessica Holmes says
Oh love hearing that Bianca! And thanks for the feedback about making it dairy free too!
Reply
Mel says
I am going to try so many if your recipes – they look delish and easy to prepare! Thanks for sharing!!!!! ♥️
Reply
Jessica Holmes says
Hope you love them Mel!
Reply
ashwienaa parameswaran says
ok thank you 🙂
Reply
Ashwienaa Parameswaran says
How do I make a bigger cake? Which ingredients do I double up on?
Thank youReply
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, I haven’t tried doubling this recipe so I can’t say. I don’t often recommend doubling recipes though – better just to make it twice!
Reply
Ellice says
Made this and everyone loved it!
Is there any way to make this dairy free too?Reply
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Ellice! I’m afraid I haven’t tried it with dairy free ingredients so I can’t say, I’m sorry.
Reply
VNessa says
Hi Jessica, can it be madera with regular flour?
Reply
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, I haven’t tried but I think yes!
Reply
Patti says
Hi Jessica,
My question is about the oven temp. In America the oven temp for baking is usually either 350 or 300. Or ally I bake gluten free either on 350 or 325. I had read somewhere where 325 is better for gluten free here. I have tried both and it depends on the cake. I was just a little confused about the 340 or 300. Which would you recommend. This looks amazing I can’t wait to make it. Also I use Bobs Red Mill Almond flour. Have you heard of it?
ThanksReply
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Patti, it’s really up to you and your oven! If you find another temperature works for you that’s totally fine. You’ll know the cake is ready when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Reply
Geetanjali says
Made this cake today. It was loved by all. Thanks a ton.
Please share eggfree cakes recipe. Would love to try it.
Reply
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Try my Egg Free Vanilla Cake next!
Pip says
Hi Jessica, I am newly gluten free and I LOVE LOVE LOVE orange cake, but sadly my husband is allergic to oranges. Could I swap the orange for lemons instead? Thanks 🙂
Reply
Jessica Holmes says
Yes absolutely Pip! Hope you enjoy it!
Reply
