Do I have to use almond flour for this recipe?

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!

What or where is Ballymaloe?

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.

Ballymaloe's Tunisian Orange Cake (Gluten Free)

Name: Ballymaloe's Tunisian Orange Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: 50g (1/2 cup + 1 tsp) white breadcrumbs (if they are slightly stale, even better! Sub in gluten-free as needed); 200g (1 cup) caster sugar; 100g (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup) ground almonds; 1/2 tbsp baking powder; 200ml (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup) sunflower oil; 4 eggs; zest of 1 orange; zest of 1 lemon; juice of 1 orange; juice and zest of 1/2 lemon; 75g (6 tbsp) caster sugar; 2 cloves (optional); pinch of cinnamon or cinnamon stick; chopped pistachios (optional); creme fraiche, to serve

Ballymaloe's Tunisian Orange Cake

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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!

Author: Margie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: serves 8-10 1x
Category: Baking
Method: Oven
Cuisine: Tunisian
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

For the cake

50g (1/2 cup + 1 tsp) white breadcrumbs (if they are slightly stale, even better! Sub in gluten-free as needed)
200g (1 cup) caster sugar
100g (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup) ground almonds
1/2 tbsp baking powder
200ml (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup) sunflower oil
4 eggs
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon

For the citrus syrup

juice of 1 orange
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
75g (6 tbsp) caster sugar
2 cloves (optional)
pinch of cinnamon or cinnamon stick

Garnish

chopped pistachios (optional)
creme fraiche, to serve

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Instructions

Line a 20cm (about 5cm/2 inches deep) cake tin with baking parchment. A good tip to line the cake tin is to 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 to 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/355F
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.

Scroll up for a step by step guide with images to help with this recipe.

To store: Store in an airtight container or well covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.

To freeze: You can freeze the sponge before pouring over the citrus syrup. Bake and cool as usual, then wrap tightly in clingfilm, an outer layer of foil then freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost when ready to eat and then cover with citrus drizzle.

Make ahead: Make the cake a day in advance and it will still be delicious, as the syrup sinks in nicely to the cake overnight.

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/ballymaloes-tunisian-orange-cake-gluten-free-2/