Sweet, nutty, and aromatic, this Cardamom Spiced Orange, Honey and Almond Cake contains hints of citrus and is beautifully moist and fluffy. Free from gluten, dairy, flour and refined sugar, it makes the perfect, guilt-free accompaniment to a cup of afternoon tea.
It has been a minute since I've made a cake and this Cardamom Spiced Orange, Honey and Almond Cake has been on my 'recipes to try' list for forever, so it was about time I put plan into action! It combines some of my favourite ingredients - cardamom, honey and almonds, which are complimented by subtle hints of orange to give serious amounts of flavour.
To top it off, it's made using completely clean and nourishing ingredients, with ground almonds used in place of flour and extra-virgin olive oil in place of butter. Both ingredients work together to give the cake a great amount of moisture and fluffiness.
It's also sweetened using raw honey only, making it refined sugar-free. I always try and opt for raw honey over any others, as it doesn't undergo processing or pasteurisation, which are said to remove some of its antioxidants. Raw honey also contains bee pollen and bee propolis (the sticky substance that bees use to build their hives), both of which have anti-inflammatory effects, in addition to being antibacterial and anti-fungal.
Tips
It's important to use almond flour and not almond meal in this recipe, as almond meal usually contains the skins of the almonds, which can mess with the cake's texture. If you don't have almond flour, you can make some yourself by blitzing blanched (peeled) almonds in a blender or food processor until a fine, powdery flour forms.
Toppings
You can absolutely serve this cake as is (it still tastes great), but I topped it with whipped coconut cream, sliced oranges and sliced almonds that had been lightly roasted.
To make the whipped coconut cream, I added 1/2 can chilled Biona coconut whipping cream (full-fat coconut milk also works) and 1 tbsp coconut sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisked at a high speed until thick and fluffy. If you don't own a stand mixer, you can do this using a handheld whisk.
Alternatively, for a more intense citrus flavour, you could make an orange glaze by mixing together the juice of one orange and a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar until a thick glaze forms. Please note that this option would mean the cake is no longer refined sugar-free.
Cardamom Spiced Orange, Honey and Almond Cake (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Serves: 8-10
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
250g almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of salt
4 eggs
170g raw honey
45g extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup plant-based milk, or milk of choice
Zest of one large orange
For the whipped coconut cream:
1/2 can Biona coconut whipping cream, or full-fat coconut milk, chilled
1 tbsp coconut sugar
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan and grease a 20cm cake tin.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cardamom, ginger and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, use a whisk to mix together the eggs, honey, olive oil and orange zest.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and knife comes out clean when inserted into the centre. If the knife doesn't come out clean, allow cake to bake for a few more minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.
5. To make the whipped coconut cream, whisk together the coconut cream and coconut sugar until thick and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake and top with sliced oranges and almonds.
STOREAGE
Place cake in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Consume within 4 days.
I hope you love this recipe!
Love,
Sasha
