Ballymaloe's Tunisian Orange Cake (Gluten Free)
Tunisian Orange Cake, with its citrusy zest and moist crumb, has always been a treat. But what if we told you that there's a healthier, gluten-free version that's just as scrumptious? Say hello to this world changing recipe from Ballymaloe Cookery School that will make the perfect make-ahead dessert or afternoon tea treat.
When I went to Ballymaloe, this Tunisian Orange Cake was legendary there for several reasons. First of all, it’s delicious, which is always important in a cake, and secondly, it’s so easy. And I mean really really easy. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or Greek Yoghurt and it’s the perfect pud. But it’s also great with a cup of tea in the afternoon, but then what cake isn’t!
You don’t even have to get out a mixer to bake this cake. There’s no elbow grease required. Guys, in fact, you don’t even need to preheat the oven! It really is that easy. Plus it keeps for days (well over a week in an airtight container), if you don’t eat it all in one sitting that is.
This is one of those recipes where you read over the list of ingredients and can’t quite believe it will all come together to make a cake, but oh I promise you it will. A moist (sorry!), light, deliciously citrus-sey cake which everyone loves! You simply have to mix the ingredients together and then pour in the cake tin and bake. Whilst the cake is baking, you prepare a seriously simple sticky citrus syrup which you then pour over the cake when it comes out of the oven. The result is a deliciously flavoursome cake with the most gorgeous texture.
It is made with almond flour, so it is accidentally gluten-free, but it gives it the most delicious texture. It also accidentally dairy free, with no butter and no milk or cream! This is a crowd-pleasing cake that just happens to also cater to a range of dietary requirements.
This Gluten Free Orange Cake is going to be one to add to your usual repertoire, perfect for any occasion!
Frequently Asked Questions
In this recipe it gives the right amount of moisture and texture - if you used plain flour instead the cake would be far too heavy and possibly a bit wet. Almond flour has become a staple in many gluten-free and low-carb baking recipes, and for good reason. It’s naturally gluten-free, low in carbs, and high in healthy fats, making it a nutritious choice for any dietary restrictions - but most importantly, it tastes great and produces cakes with such a beautiful texture!
If you aren’t familiar with Ballymaloe, it is a world-renowned culinary school, established in 1983 and situated in Shanagarry, County Cork, Ireland. Darina Allen, a well-known chef, cookbook author, and the Irish founder of the slow food movement, runs the school, which lies on the grounds of an organic farm. Some of its alumni include Thomasina Miers, Tara Wigley, Clodagh McKenna and Desert Island Dishes’ very own Margie Nomura! Ballymaloe have a whole host of cookbooks written primarily by Darina Allen or her mother Myrtle Allen and they all offer the real basics of cooking alongside impressive recipes but all are timeless and straightforward.
You Might Also Enjoy:
- Easy Lemon Tart with Lemon Curd
- Vanilla Panna Cotta with Orange & Ginger Poached Rhubarb
- Easy Banana Pudding with Dark Chocolate
- Easy Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake Recipe
- Individual Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
Ballymaloe's Tunisian Orange Cake
Tunisian Orange Cake, with its citrusy zest and moist crumb is a dinner party favourite -- super easy to make and so good. It can very easily be made gluten-free!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: serves 8-10 1x
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: Tunisian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the cake
- 50g white breadcrumbs (if they are slightly stale, even better! Sub in gluten-free as needed)
- 200g caster sugar
- 100g ground almonds
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- 200ml sunflower oil
- 4 eggs
- zest of 1 orange
- zest of 1 lemon
For the citrus syrup
- juice of 1 orange
- juice and zest of ½ lemon
- 75g sugar
- 2 cloves (optional)
- pinch of cinnamon or cinnamon stick
Garnish
- chopped pistachios (optional)
- creme fraiche, to serve
Instructions
- Line a 20cm (about 5cm deep) cake tin with baking parchment. A good tip to line the cake tin is fold a piece of parchment into four into a rough square. Fold the square diagonally, so that the two folded sides line up and you have a rough triangle shape. Fold once more in half, bring one folded side ti another so that you have a thin triangle with a point. Then line the point of the triangle up with the centre of the tin and cut the triangle along the outer curve of the tin. Unfold and you are left with a circle of parchment to fit your tin perfectly. This page is helpful if you need to visualise this part better!
- In a large bowl simply mix together the breadcrumbs, sugar, almonds and baking powder.
- Crack in the eggs and stir in the oil. Add the zest and give it a good mix.
- Pour into the cake tin and place into the cold oven and turn the heat up to 180C.
- Bake for 45 mins- 60 mins until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. The top should be lovely and golden.
- Leave to cool for a few minutes before turning out on a plate - the golden top will now be on the bottom.
- In the meantime, you can make the syrup. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil. You want the sugar to dissolve and then carry on simmering it gently for about 3 minutes.
- Once the cake has baked and is still warm (not hot), turn it out onto a plate so the underside is facing up. Poke all over with a skewer and drizzle over the syrup. Check on it occasionally and you can spoon syrup that has run off the side back on top of the cake.
- Once it’s all been soaked up, sprinkle with chopped pistachios, cut into slices and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and an extra bit of orange zest.
Notes
Recipe originally from Ballymaloe Cookery Course: Darina Allen.
Henrietta Hearn says
Hello, Can I freeze Tunisian orange cake?
Margie Nomura says
Do you know I've made this hundreds of times and yet I have never frozen it. But I really don't see why not. Make sure to wrap it well to protect it in the freezer but I think it should be absolutely fine. x
Elaine Griffin says
Apart from not being gluten free anymore would it change the cake if the breadcrumbs weren’t gluten free?
margie says
Hi Elaine! Not at all, use any breadcrumbs you like xx
Nicky says
Hi, the recipe doesn't have quantity of almond flour only ground almonds .
I'm a bit confused
margie says
Hi Nicky, Sorry in the Uk we call almond flour, ground almonds. It's the same thing! Sorry for the confusion xx
Patricia Trace says
Greetings! What type of breadcrumbs do you recommend? I’d love to make this luscious cake, but just curious what you prefer as the foundation with the almond flour. Thanks very much!
margie says
Hi! So sorry for the slow reply. Any breadcrumbs will work - but you want to make them fresh just by blitzing the bread in a food processor. You couldn't use the dried kind like panko or the ones you get in a tube. xxx