This orange blossom almond cake is the perfect dessert for tea parties, brunches, and even your next Eid gathering. With refreshing citrusy and floral notes, it is the epitome of spring! Plus, it’s gluten and refined sugar-free but you can’t even tell!
I’ve been wanting to try cooking with orange blossom water for a while now and even went out and bought a bottle some time ago only to have it sitting pretty in my pantry for the past few months. You see, it’s not a common ingredient in South Asian cuisine and so it took me a while to get started. I love the floral notes of orange blossom water and although it is different than rose water, they are both interchangeable and distilled in a similar fashion. So with oranges in season, I decided to create an orange cake and thought orange blossom water would compliment the cake beautifully. I was right!
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this cake
- What is orange blossom water?
- What is a good orange blossom water substitute?
- What you will need to make orange blossom cake
- How to make orange blossom almond cake
- Tips & substitutions
- Common questions
- Storage
- More fusion desserts to try
Why you’ll love this cake
Refined ingredients free I use honey instead of sugar and arrow root powder instead of white flour.
Refreshing citrus taste This cake is perfect for spring with fresh and fruity orange flavor thanks to the orange rind and orange blossom water.
Quick It may seem complicated but comes together quickly and bakes in under 30 minutes.
What is orange blossom water?
Orange blossom water is what you get when you boil the flowers of the bitter orange tree. The steam is bottled and distilled to create the water. It is different from orange extract which is made of the orange fruit. Orange blossom water has fruity, citrusy notes with a sweet yet bitter taste very much like orange rind.
Orange blossom water is used in Middle Eastern and North African cuisines. Mostly in desserts.
What is a good orange blossom water substitute?
If you can’t get your hands on orange blossom water, you can use orange extract or even rose water like in my Cardamom Rose Cake. The two are often used interchangeably even though they impart different flavors.
What you will need to make orange blossom cake
Dry Ingredients Blanched, super fine almond flour is best. Arrowroot powder /tapioca flour, salt, baking powder, and soda.
Butter This will make for a moist cake.
Eggs Room temperature eggs for a fluffier, airier cake.
Sweetener I have experimented with honey and monk fruit sweetener. Honey works best for this recipe but you can use any sweetener you’d like. Monk fruit sweetener will need an increase in wet ingredients to prevent drying out.
Orange blossom water and orange rind Both give the subtle floral and fruity notes we want.
How to make orange blossom almond cake
Preheat the oven to 325ºF/163ºC. When baking with honey, it is recommended to set your oven 25º lower than when baking with sugar.
Line your pan with parchment I have recently started using a springform pan (affiliate link) and couldn’t be happier. It is super easy to remove the cake post baking and lining the bottom with a round of parchment paper makes it even easier to work with.
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Mix the dry ingredients Start by mixing all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Mix all the wet ingredients In another bowl, cream the butter, and then add the eggs, honey, orange blossom water, and orange rind. It will curdle but don’t freak out! It will all come together in the end:)
Add the wet ingredients to the dry a little at a time and stir to combine but don’t over-mix. Over-mixing causes the fat in the almond flour to be released and absorbed, resulting in a dryer cake. Mix just enough to ensure there are no clumps left.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan Tap the pan to get any air bubbles out and settle the batter into the pan. Add some sliced almonds on top if you wish.
Bake for 25 minutes but check around the 20-minute mark as oven temperatures can vary.
Cool Once the cake is ready, take it out of the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. Next, remove it from the pan, remove the parchment paper from under it, and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Decorate and enjoy! I like to decorate with some more sliced almonds, powdered sugar for some drama, and a couple of orange slices and mint leaves.
Tips & substitutions
- Bring the eggs and butter to room temperature before you begin baking. Room-temperature eggs blend easier into the batter and help make the cake fluffier and lighter. Softened butter is easier to cream.
- Orange blossom water is readily available in Middle Eastern stores and online but if you can’t find it, you can substitute it with orange extract. The flavor profile will change some but the cake will be just as delicious!
- When baking with orange blossom water, a little goes a long way. If you are new to the taste, start with 1/2 tablespoon and increase to 1 tablespoon.
- Do not over-mix the batter as almond flour is very absorbent. Over-mixing will lead to a denser cake rather than a light and airy one.
Common questions
Over-mixing almond flour can result in the fat being released and absorbed resulting in a dry and crumbly texture.
Again, this can happen if you over-beat or over-mix the batter. Almond flour lacks gluten so the cake will be denser than its gluten-rich counterpart.
Storage
This cake can be stored on countertop for up to 4 days and in the fridge for a week. You can freeze the cake but hold off on decorating it. Wrap it first in some plastic wrap, foil, and then a zip-top bag. This cake will keep for 2 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
More fusion desserts to try
If you try this recipe, I’d appreciate it so much if you would rate it! And let me know in the comments how it worked out for you. I love hearing feedback and the recipe rating helps others find this recipe!
Orange Blossom Almond Cake
Equipment
- 9 " springform pan
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 beater
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup arrowroot flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- 1 tablespoon orange rind
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF/163ºC and line your pan with parchment.
- Start by mixing all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In another bowl, cream the butter with a beater and then add the eggs, honey, orange blossom water and orange rind. It will curdle but don't freak out! It will all come together in the end.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry a little at a time till all the wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry. Be careful not to over mix the batter. Over mixing will result in a denser and dryer cake as almond flour is extremely absorbent. Mix just enough to ensure there are no clumps left.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and add some sliced almonds on top if you wish. Tap the pan to get any air bubbles out and to settle the batter into the pan.
- Bake for 25 minutes but check around the 20 minute mark as oven temperatures can vary. The cake is ready once a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Once the cake is ready, take it out of the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. Next, take it out of the pan, remove the parchment paper from under it and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
- Once completely cooled, sprinkle some more sliced almonds on top and if you wish, some powdered sugar to make it fancy. And if you want to make it even fancier you can add a couple of orange slices and mint leaves too.
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