Almond Flour Orange Cake (My Son's First Birthday Cake)
My son Otto turned one this past weekend. I also happened to be back in Connecticut, where I grew up, celebrating my 20th high school reunion. I didn't want to skip over his first birthday, but I needed a cake simple enough to whip up for a birthday brunch celebration before I assumed my role as reunion coordinator later that day.
This cake is incredibly simple and is free of refined sugar, food dyes, gluten and grains. It works as well for a one year old's birthday as it does for a more sophisticated brunch. I topped it with fresh whipped cream and berries to elevate it a bit more but it would do just as well in a loaf pan.
Thanks to the almond flour and olive oil, this cake is moist and incredibly nourishing. Almond flour is doing the heavy lifting here instead of wheat flour, and it's not just a gluten-free swap. It brings real protein and healthy fat into a cake that would otherwise be pure carbohydrate, so it's not sending blood sugar through the roof the way a traditional flour cake would. It's also a great source of vitamin E and magnesium.
Olive oil replaces butter here, which keeps the crumb moist and adds in those good monounsaturated fats we talk about so much. Honey is my sweetener of choice over refined sugar, still a real food, and it plays so well with the orange. The eggs bring protein and choline, and the orange juice and zest bring the brightness that makes this actually taste like a treat instead of something you're settling for.
Ingredients
3 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder, grain free
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup honey
3 eggs, room temperature
Juice and zest of 1 orange
Optional for topping: heavy whipping cream, honey, vanilla, fresh berries
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9 inch round cake pan.
Whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey, eggs, orange juice, and orange zest.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until smooth.
Pour into your prepared pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let it cool completely in the pan before removing. Almond flour cakes are delicate and need the time to set.
If topping, whip the cream with a little honey and vanilla to soft peaks, then top the cooled cake with cream and berries right before serving.
Tips and notes
Almond flour cakes brown fast on top while the middle's still catching up, so tent it with foil the last 10 minutes if it's getting too dark.
Use finely ground almond flour, not almond meal, or you'll end up with a grainier texture than you want.
Let it cool fully before slicing. It really does make a difference with how it holds together.
Serves about 10
Nutrition per serving (based on 10 slices): 366 Calories, 9g Protein, 29g Fat, 22g Carbs, 4g Fiber