Gluten Free Orange Cake (Sicilian Whole Orange Cake)
This gluten free orange cake is one of the best cakes I’ve ever made without a trace of gluten! Moist, delectable crumb, full-on orange flavor (from a whole orange), and a sweet and sticky glaze makes it a winner, all around!
A few years ago, my mother happened upon a recipe from an Italian food blog called Allacciate il Grembiule (Tie on Your Aprons.) Luisa had shared a recipe for an orange cake using the whole orange. So she tried it. It was sublime.
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We made some changes and shared the recipe, too. However, I gave credit to Luisa because that’s how anyone who is inspired by, or adapts a recipe in any way, shape or form should share it. Anyway, the rave reviews started pouring in. Mum and I made it often (in our separate kitchens) and there’s one interesting note: this cake is extremely flexible. No matter how we substituted ingredients, it has always turned out beautifully.
Even readers reviewing the whole orange cake note the changes they’ve made and how delicious it is! It’s a fabulous recipe. I even made one with lemon, instead of orange which is brilliant! And earlier today, a friend made one from tangerines and shared it on Instagram.
The biggest difference with this cake, besides the gluten free flour, is that I decided to use cream cheese instead of yogurt. I use cream cheese in this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. and it has a fabulous texture, and it worked so much better than yogurt in this gluten free version. This is one thing I would hold fast on: do not substitute the cream cheese in this cake.
Gluten Free Orange Cake
Make one 8″ cake Adapted from my Sicilian Whole Orange Cake recipe
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
- eggs
- sugar
- gluten free baking flour
- rice flour
- baking powder (or Italian Paneangeli vanilla baking powder)
- xanthan gum
- butter, softened
- cream cheese, at room temperature (critical ingredient in this cake)
- fresh, organic orange
Glaze
- juice of an organic orange
- sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
Prepare an 8″ springform pan by spraying with oil (or butter) and lining in parchment paper (sides optional, if you want really clean sides), then spray the paper, too.
Place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy.
Mix the gluten free flour with the rice flour, Paneangeli powder (or baking powder) and xanthan gum. Add to the mixture in the bowl a little at a time along with the softened butter. Continue to mix until completely blended, then mix in the softened cream cheese.
In a food processor, process the whole orange until it is almost pureed. It should look like this~
Add this orange to the cake mixture and stir until evenly combined, then put the batter into the prepared tin.
Bake for 50-60 minutes (depending on your oven), but test with a cake tester or skewer to make sure the orange cake is done before removing from the oven.
Make the orange glaze
Prepare the glaze by melting the sugar in the orange juice and allow to simmer for a few minutes, just until the liquid has a syrupy consistency.
Spoon and brush over the top of the cake, while it’s still hot, and allow to cool completely before cutting.
Yes, it’s hard to wait, but the moist orange cake will cut more easily if it’s cool first.
Remove the sides and bottom of pan, and when cool, serve on a pretty plate with a twist of orange and a few clean orange leaves (if desired.)
Serve and hope that there’s enough to last the day.
Erm–maybe enough to last the hour!
Gluten Free Orange Cake (Sicilian Whole Orange Cake)
An incredibly moist and delicious whole orange cake which no one will ever guess is gluten free!
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/8 c (250g) sugar
- 1 c (200g) gluten free baking flour
- 1/2 c (75 g) rice flour
- 3 tsp baking powder (or 1 packet Italian Paneangeli vanilla baking powder)
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/3 c (100g) butter, softened
- 1/3 c (100g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 large organic orange, about (300g), washed and cut into pieces (with the rind, but remove the seeds)
Glaze
- juice of one organic orange
- 1/3 c (100g) sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
Make the cake
- Prepare an 8″ springform pan by spraying with oil (or butter) and lining in parchment paper (sides optional, if you want really clean sides), then spray the paper, too.
- Place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy.
- Mix the gluten free flour with the rice flour, Paneangeli powder (or baking powder) and xanthan gum. Add to the mixture in the bowl a little at a time along with the softened butter. Continue to mix until completely blended, then mix in the softened cream cheese.
- In a food processor, process the whole orange until it is almost pureed.
- Add this orange to the cake mixture and stir until evenly combined, then put the batter into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes (depending on your oven), but test with a cake tester or skewer to make sure the orange cake is done before removing from the oven. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then remove the side of the springform pan.
Make the glaze
- Prepare the glaze by melting the sugar in the orange juice and allow to simmer for a few minutes, just until the liquid has a syrupy consistency.
- Spoon and brush over the top of the cake, while it's still hot, and allow to cool completely before cutting.
Notes
If you like this cake, try the lemon version, too.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 153Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 157mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information is only estimated.
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Would you double the recipe if making a layer cake?
Thank you!
Hi Jackie, no if you use an 8″ springform you can cut it in half or use 2 8″ cake pans, but bake time will be much less. Enjoy!
This reminds me so much of the lemon sponge cakes that my mother made when I was a child (decades before I was diagnosed with Celiac). I have yet to find a recipe for a gluten free lemon sponge cake, but the consistency of this cake is very much like a sponge cake, so that was a pleasant surprise. I just made it the other day and it turned out perfect & is delicious! I was wondering however if this could be made in a loaf pan instead of the springform pan?
So glad to hear it, Barbara! (Btw, I also have a lovely gf cake with a lighter texture) Yes, a loaf tin works great! Enjoy!
Since flour mixes weigh different amounts based on volume, which measure should I use? Grams or cups? I made the cake today and used cups and the cake has fallen. I’m sure it will still be delicious though.
Hi Jill, it won’t be the measurement on this cake as it’s super flexible. I’m guessing it fell because you pulled it out too early? Is the middle a bit underdone? However, if in doubt ALWAYS use the weight vs. volume for baking. I wouldn’t have cups at all if it was up to me. Hope the next one is perfect! :)
It rose nicely during cooking but had fallen in the oven after 45 min. The cake tester was clean after 50 min. Oh well. Now I have an excuse to make it again!
That’s strange. At 50 minutes it would definitely still be underbaked in my oven, but then again, all ovens are different. Do you have an oven thermometer? That’s what I’d suggest to see if you oven is calibrated correctly. Maybe it’s higher than what you think it is. Let me know how it turns out next time! :)
Christina, I use ATK Gluten free flour mix. Should I do 1 1/2 cups og that or use 1 cup of ATK blend and 1/2 cup of rice flour?
Hi Melissa, just use the ATK mix, skip the rice flour :)
I am keto so i am going to try the gluten free one but will have to fined alternative for rice flour and sugar with stevia. Almond or coconut. Hmm. I will however do the whole orange version for my mom as per her request. Thanks you. Great help.
I am curious what you think the consequences would be of using ALL premixed GF flour blend instead of the added rice flour? I don’t generally buy it anymore as it would be stale before I finished it and it is expensive. Sounds silly but I have wasted so much money over the years as we experimented with finding what we like and didn’t.
I say, go for it. This cake is so incredibly versatile and flexible, I don’t think you’ll have an issue! Let me know how it goes, Lori. :)
Hi can this cake be made a couple of days in advance or will it go stale quickly?
Thanks 😊
It actually doesn’t go stale quickly, Amy! It’s one of those cakes that stays moist for quite a few days, but obviously, the fresher the better. Enjoy!
This looks delicious! Do you think it would work as a layer cake, with some sort of complementary-flavored buttercream? And if so, would you recommend cutting it horizontally or baking it as two separate layers (for less time)?
Thank you!
Yes! Other readers have done this, but I’m not sure if they sliced it or baked in two pans. I think either way would work, but yes, less time if you use two pans. Enjoy!