Orange and almond cake

A classic Passover dessert that draws on the Sephardic traditions of the Mediterranean, Morocco and the Middle East. In this recipe whole oranges are boiled for two hours and then puréed skin, pips and all. Not only is this cake incredibly moreish and moist, it is also gluten and dairy-free making it the perfect all-rounder.

• serves

  10–12

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  3 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 oranges, washed
• 250 g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 6 eggs
• 250 g almond meal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• icing sugar, to serve

The following recipe has been tested and edited by SBS Food and may differ slightly from the video.

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Wash the oranges and cook in the boiling water for 2 hours. Drain, allow to cool to room temperature, then puree. This step can be done ahead of time.

2. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 22 cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.

3. Beat the eggs and caster until well combined.

4. Stir in the orange puree followed by the almond meal and baking powder.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and dust the top with extra caster sugar. Bake for 1-1¼ hours, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

6. Allow to cool in the tin. Dust with icing sugar, cut into slices and serve.

Want more recipes like this? We recommend: 

• Fabulous flans, meringues and cheesecakes from our gluten-free cake collection.

• Our favourite pantry staple: almond meal. Recipes here!

• 80+ Jewish recipes from Eastern Europe, America, Morocco and the Middle East.

• A French, fruity alternative: Gabriel Gaté's plum tart.

• Classic comfort food: honey and orange-glazed chicken.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.