Gluten Free Orange Cake (So Easy)

Name: Gluten Free Orange Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 230 grams (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened*; 200 grams (1 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 large eggs, room temperature; 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) 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

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!

Slices of Gluten Free Orange Cake on a white plate

The perfect Gluten Free Orange Cake right here 👆🏻

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

A homemade Gluten Free Orange Cake sitting in a cake pan

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.

Thick cut slices of orange cake on a white plate

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

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