Gluten-Free Almond Orange Olive Oil Cake with Mandarins
Spring/Winter
Winter is supposedly long behind us (though you wouldn’t know it by looking out of the rain pelted quarantine windows into the whipping winds of 49 degrees), but I’m still citrus obsessed.
It’s really quite simple:
1) Quarantine means your food shopping is limited. And butter is pricey and sometimes you run out.
2) Olive Oil is easier to keep in the house, and, it turns out, olive oil cake is sumptuous and, in a contradictory turn, light at the same time. It is also quick and easy to make.
3) My obsession with citrus isn’t just limited to citrus generally. Orange and almond go together like butter and toast. Chocolate and peanut butter. Only, it’s a little more fanciful, fresh, and rustic than all that.
Quarantine Cake
If you are at home (I know you are, don’t pretend), and want a cake that can stay awhile, serve as a lovely dessert with a dollop of whipped cream on top (or more simply as I enjoy it, with a little powdered sugar), or become a little something for breakfast that won’t make you feel quite so guilty about eating your desserts as meals, then olive oil cake is for you.
This Almond Orange Olive Oil cake is most definitely for you.
A History
Olive Oil cake is said to have originated from Italy (some say the Ligurian region), Spain, and the Mediterranean in general. It makes sense that olive oil in lieu of butter was utilized in both savory cooking and sweet baking practices.
My history with olive oil cake was limited to being served in restaurants, other than a chocolate olive oil cake I once made during the massive 2 foot snowstorm in Brooklyn in 2016. Like now, I had a handful of ingredients and needed a delicious and easy to accomplish result.
I adapted a recipe I used often for gluten free almond orange cake, similar to a Financier cake, which I added butter back into, resulting in a sticky, overly rich almond paste like texture. It tasted wonderful, like the inside of a croissant, but I wanted to dial back the butter again to find a more even ground.
Then, I realized I could convert the butter to olive oil, while keeping the almond orange flavor, for which there is no equal substitute in my opinion.
Lastly, I decided to use mandarins instead of oranges for a unique little twist and a slightly sweeter flavor. Plus, they look lovely in photos!
Sans Gluten
The best part (one might argue) is that this cake is gluten free. Perfect for Passover, perfect for those who need or like to limit themselves. I’m afraid I’m not one of these people, but I love the unique texture that almond flour creates in a cake, and almond flour tends to just soak up the olive oil so perfectly here.
A cake for any occasion, no matter the season. The scent of citrus, particularly oranges, is said to improve and enlighten your mood. Added bonus during these strange times.
Gluten Free Almond Orange Olive Oil Cake
Equipment
- Makes one 9-10 inch round cake, using spring form pan or one 2 lbloaf cake
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- Rind of 2 large oranges, or 3 mandarins
- 1/4 cup juice from orange or mandarin
- 1/4 cup Grand Mariner (*which happens to be the entirety of those adorable little bottles at the front of the liquor store)
- 2 Tbsp whole milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp . baking powder
- 1/2 tsp . baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Sliced, blanched almonds for top of cake, if desired
Instructions
- Separate the eggs, and addthe egg yolks to a mixing bowl. Set aside the egg whites.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees andgrease a 9 inch spring form pan. You can also add parchment paper on thebottom, which I forgot to do. I have a 10 inch spring form pan, but I think asmaller version would yield a thicker looking cake.
- Beat the egg yolks and thegranulated sugar for at least 3 minutes, untilpale and fluffy. Add in the olive oil, slowly, and keep mixing on a slightlylower speed since the mixture will become more thin with the addition of oil.Add in the citrus rind, thejuice, the Grand Mariner, and the milk. Mix on low speed untilincorporated.
- Add in the vanilla and almondextract and mix briefly to incorporate again.Add in the almond flour, bakingpowder, baking soda, and salt and beat until the mix thickens again forat least a minute or two. Set aside for a moment.
- Beat the egg whites until theymove past foamy and soft peaks are achieved.
- Very carefully fold the eggwhites into the cake mixture, being sure to integratewithout knocking the air out of the egg whites. Once it comes together, thebatter is ready.Drop batter into the pan and sprinkle the almonds on top (if preferred, you can leave out.)
- Bake for at least 30-35 minutes (ifusing a smaller pan and have a thicker cake, add in an additional 10 minutes orso, 45 total. Watch the cake well–it will get quite dark because we are notusing flour, only almond flour. The sides will begin to darken and come away,and a toothpick should come out of the center of the cake perhaps sticky, butclean.)
- Let cool for 10 minutes, thenremove the sides of the pan and allow at least 15 additional minutes on a wirerack to cool completely. You can also then remove the bottom of the pan andpaper so the cake will cool from the bottom up.
- You can serve with a dollop ofwhipped cream, creme fraiche, or more simply as I did it, with powdered sugarand some additional citrus rinds. This cake works for dessert, an afternoontreat with tea, or, in my case, breakfast.
Notes
- Make sure your eggs are room temperature as they separate much more easily.
- Parchment paper on the bottom of the spring form pan is an extra step that I should have taken. This cake is very sticky and it will prevent a messy removal.
- You can use a little less sugar if you prefer a less sweet cake.
- You can also substitute oranges for mandarins as I did, or blood oranges, tangerines etc. Be creative–almond and citrus work beautifully.