This orange cake is a classic, homemade treat from the enchanting island of Sicily. Featuring bright orange flavors mellowed with almond flour, it tastes so delicious that no one who tries it will guess how easy it is to make!
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
For this recipe, you will need:
- 2 large oranges (we recommend organic since the peel of one will be used in the cake)
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 10 1/2 tbsp (150g) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 2/3 cup (200g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tbsp (16g) baking powder
- 1 cup (100g) almond flour
- Powdered sugar (about 1/2 cup, no need to be precise) for glazing
You'll also want a blender, hand mixer, fine mesh sifter, and 9-inch (or similar) springform mold.
Remove and discard the green pedicel from one of the oranges. Slice the fruit into 8-10 pieces. Place them in a blender—that's right, rind, seeds and all—and blend into a smooth purée. Set aside.
Preheat an oven to 355 degrees F (180 C).
Using a hand mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar together until very creamy, fluffy, and almost white in color.
Melt the butter in a microwave and set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, mix the flour and baking powder together, then sift these with a fine mesh sieve into the eggs. Use a spatula to gently mix all together.
Next, mix in the orange purée. When this is incorporated, stir in the melted butter. Finally, mix in the almond flour.
Butter a 9-inch springform mold and dust the inside with flour (be sure to dump out any excess). Pour the cake batter into the mold. Shake the tin to even out the surface.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until an inserted knife pulls out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing the mold and transferring the cake to a serving plate.
When the cake has cooled, make a simple glaze by mixing powdered sugar with juice from the second orange. Add a little bit of juice at a time until you have a consistency that can be drizzled but isn't too runny. Add more sugar if it's too liquid.
Drizzle the cake with the glaze. Buon appetito!