Vegan orange cake using a WHOLE orange including the rind. It's made with only 5 ingredients and is also gluten-free, oil-free, eggless and flourless!
What's a whole orange cake?
A whole orange cake has origins in Sicily, Morocco and the Middle East. It's traditionally made with boiled whole oranges (with their rind and all) and often uses almond flour/meal rather than wheat flour.
Conventionally, a whole orange cake recipe uses up to 6 eggs and is not vegan (or easily veganizable). However, after vigorous testing, I found a way to make an eggless whole orange cake using common ingredients!
Why you'll love this cake
FLAVOR: Sweet, bursting with complex orange flavor, and slight bitter undertone. It tastes just like a non-vegan flourless orange almond cake.
TEXTURE: Moist and dense with a fine crumb. It's not meant to be fluffy like a sponge cake. The texture is like a rich fruit cake, moist French financier or friand.
CUSTOMIZABLE: For fruity variations of this cake, check out my vegan whole lemon cake or flourless strawberry cake. Or if you may prefer my flourless vegan chocolate cake or vegan almond cake.
5 ingredients you'll need
Notes about the ingredients
A whole orange, ideally organic as we're using the rind! I recommend using a sweet orange that has a thin skin otherwise your cake will be too bitter. The orange adds a lot of moisture to the cake so we don't need oil or butter.
I don't recommend replacing the orange with orange juice. A whole orange contains pulp, fiber and rind whereas orange juice is just liquid.
Regular granulated sugar. Coconut sugar will also work but it will make the cake denser and brown in color.
Potato starch (or corn starch). See the next section for why we need this!
Baking powder. I added a little extra to this cake to help the cake bake through. It also helps replace some of the lifting power normally provided by eggs in conventional whole orange cakes.
You'll also need water... but is that even an ingredient?!
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Why potato starch: the simple magical ingredient
Potato starch allows us to omit the eggs in this whole orange cake. You can also use corn starch (corn flour). Potato starch is not the same as potato flour or potato protein.
Potato starch has various functions in this recipe:
- It is a great binder and thickener (it's a common vegan egg substitute).
- It is a dry ingredient that adds structure. Unfortunately, chia eggs, flax eggs and aquafaba makes the cake TOO moist, dense and competes with the orange flavor.
- It is tasteless and colorless which allows the orange to shine!
Potato starch isn't a straightforward 1:1 egg replacer in a regular whole orange cake recipe. I had to reduce the liquid and increase the baking powder to make sure the final cake isn't too dense!
You can get potato and corn starch in some major supermarkets, health food stores and Asian specialty stores. In Asian stores, they are very affordable!
Preparing the whole orange
First, we need to boil a whole orange in water. Keep on the rind (or skin) but remove the 'stem' (if there is one). My orange weighed just over 250g but it doesn't matter if yours is 10g lighter or heavier.
The orange doesn't need to be completely submerged in water in your pot. There just needs to be enough water so the orange boils/steams! Your home will smell lovely when you cook your orange... I need to do it more often :).
When the orange is cooked, drain and discard all the water. Roughly chop the orange as it'll be easier to blend/process. And remove any seeds, if any!
Making the vegan orange cake
Use a food processor or stick blender to puree your orange (rind and all). The puree doesn't have to be extremely fine. Any small chunks will add texture to your vegan orange cake.
Next, add ALL the ingredients to the food processor and pulse until combined. The cake batter should be very thick, almost like a paste. If your batter is runnier, I'd recommend adding a little more potato starch.
Normally I wouldn't recommend using a food processor to mix cake batter as over-mixing can create a tough cake. However, gluten is the culprit of tough cakes and this cake is gluten-free so we don't have to worry about over-mixing!
If you don't have a food processor, add your orange puree and all other ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir using a spatula or spoon. The batter will be too thick for a hand whisk.
Scoop (or pour) the thick batter into your cake tin. The surface will be a little rough so just smooth it out using a spatula or spoon.
Tip: If your batter is sticking too much to your spoon, dip your spoon in water and try again!
Tips for baking the cake
The whole orange cake has a high amount of almond flour so we need to bake it at a lower temperature. Nuts tend to burn quickly so a lower temperature prevents this from happening!
The cake is ready when it is slightly golden brown on top. If you can insert a toothpick into the middle and it comes out mostly clean (a few crumbs are fine). The cake won't rise much at all.
If you have an overly hot oven, your flourless orange almond cake might turn golden brown before it's baked inside. If so, turn down the heat of your oven AND place an oven-safe plate on top of your cake tin (as long as it doesn't touch the cake).
When you remove the cake from the oven, let it cool in the cake pan as it'll be very delicate. The cake will firm up a lot when it cools.
Serving the cake
This eggless orange cake is perfect for morning tea or with your daily coffee! It is delicious with a simple dusting of powdered sugar or can be served with:
- thick dairy-free yogurt
- dairy-free cream or ice cream
- slices of fresh oranges or candied orange peel
If you want to bring this cake to a celebration, you can top the cake with beautiful rose petals and pistachios!
I think the cake is already sweet enough but if you would like to decorate it, I recommend topping it with yogurt. Or make a simple sugar icing such as the one in my lemon pistachio cake (use orange juice instead of lemon to make an orange glaze). I'd say that buttercream is too sweet for this cake.
Ingredient substitutions and customizations
Almond flour is about 15% fat so we need to compensate for this if we replace it with flour. I recommend using a combination of all-purpose flour and neutral oil or light-tasting olive oil (quantities are listed in the notes of the recipe card below). The cake will be fluffier and have a more subtle orange flavor compared to the original.
I haven't tried this but it should work if you cut off the rind. Without boiling the orange, remove some of the orange zest then remove all of the flesh inside. Blend the orange zest with the flesh then use it in the recipe.
Yes either will work!
The cake itself is already full of complex flavor. However, you may add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder or a pinch of salt.
More easy vegan cake recipes
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Vegan Whole Orange Cake
Ingredients
- 1 x (~250 g) medium-sized organic orange, with the rind still on
- 250 g (2 ½ cups) almond flour / blanched almond meal, (note 1)
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar, (note 2)
- 85 g (½ cup + 1 tablespoon) potato starch, or corn starch / corn flour (plus more if needed)
- 80 g (⅓ cup) water
- 3 heaped teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- I recommend weighing the ingredients for this recipe rather than using the cups measurement. Like all of my recipes, this whole orange cake was tested using grams except the baking powder.
Preparing the orange:
- Thoroughly wash the skin of the orange and remove the stem, if it's still on. Add around 4 cups of water to a small saucepan and place the whole orange in it. Over medium heat, simmer the orange for 30 minutes until you can pierce the skin with no resistance. Drain the water and allow the orange to cool.
- Roughly chop the orange and remove any seeds. Place it in a food processor and process until it forms a paste. It's fine if there are little bits of rind in the paste.
Making the cake batter:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Grease or line an 8-inch (20 cm) cake pan with parchment paper (Note 3).
- Add the rest of the cake ingredients to the food processor. Process until the mixture is combined and thick. If your batter is runnier, add 1 tablespoon (7g) of potato starch at a time and mix until it forms a thick batter. If in doubt, err towards a thicker batter rather than thinner batter. For this recipe, a thinner batter will make a denser cake.
- Scoop the cake batter into a your cake tin. Smooth the top with a spoon or spatula.
Baking the cake:
- Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes (Note 4). The cake is ready when a skewer can be inserted into the middle and there is no wet batter on it (some crumbs are fine). The cake isn't meant to rise much or flatten out but it will 'set'. Allow the cake to completely cool in the cake tin.
- To serve, dust the cake with powdered sugar (Note 5). Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
- The total amount of almond flour can be substituted with 1 cup (125g) all purpose flour and ½ cup (125g) light-tasting oil. We have to add oil to compensate for the natural fats normally found in almond flour.
- This amount of sugar creates a mildly sweet cake. You can decrease the sugar to ½ cup (100g) but it will create a more dense cake that may be a little bitter.
- The cake bakes very well in muffin tins and can be divided into smaller cake tins, of course with different baking times. However, baking the whole quantity of the cake in a smaller tin (for example 15 cm or 7 inches) may cause 'dense streaks' throughout the cake.
- If your oven is too hot, your cake may be cooked on the outside but still unbaked inside. If so, turn down the oven temperature and cover the cake pan with an oven-safe plate, as long as it doesn't touch the cake.
- Alternatively, you can also:
- Drizzle a simple syrup on the cake. Combine ¼ cup (80g) orange juice and 2 tbsp of sugar in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Drizzle on the cake while it's warm.
- Top the cake with a simple icing, such as the one in this recipe (but substitute the lemon juice with orange juice). Wait until the cake is completely cool before you ice the cake.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in November 2017 and updated a few times since then. Vegan baking science has grown a lot over the years!
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Jsims says
I made this the other night and substituted the cane sugar with coconut sugar. Topped with a drizzle of mixed powdered sugar, orange juice and a little orange marmalade… It was delicious! I love how your gluten-free/vegan recipes are easy to make and so tasty. Thank you!
Anthea says
So glad you enjoyed this cake with coconut sugar! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment x
Lucy says
I had this as my birthday cake this year!! Thank you so much for it! It was amazing! We also added some chocolate frosting where the liquid for the frosting was orange juice.
Anthea says
Aw, I'm so happy to hear! Love the idea of a chocolate frosting too x
Barb says
I am impressed with the details & explanations in your recipe. They’re the best I’ve ever read & are so helpful. I made this cake for the first time just now and used spelt flour because that’s all I had. Your tip an explanation about substituting flour and oil instead of Armond meal was excellent. I’m keen to try it with the almonds as well. I probably could have left it in the oven a little bit longer but it still looked & tasted terrific.
Anthea says
Aw, that's a really nice compliment, thank you Barb! I'm so glad it worked with spelt flour for you - I love using that flour in baking :). Thanks so much for your feedback x
Shelly says
I made this today after coming across this recipe. The cake turned out great. It's got a strong orange flavor which is perfect in my opinion. I will make this again.
Anthea says
That's amazing! Thanks so much Shelly! x
Eve says
I'm in heaven with this recipe. I am not a good baker by any means and I can make this cake and it tastes fantastic, plus it's gluten free.
I want to try making this cake substituting dates for the sugar (blending the dates with the oranges in the blender). How would I alter the recipe for this do you think? Thanks so much.
Anthea says
Aw thank you! I haven't tried this recipe with dates but know it will change the texture and colour of the cake a lot. However, I'd probably omit the water initially, see the consistency of the cake batter (it should be thick but spreadable like above) and add water only if the batter is too thick. I hope that helps!
Sofie says
Delicious and easy-to-follow recipe, especially as ingredients provided in grams. As I had a larger orange I added 250g total in whole orange purée to stay close to the recipe and this amount was perfect. I added 1/2 tsp almond extract to enhance the almond flavour and 3g kosher salt as I always add salt to my sweet recipes to enhance overall flavour. Another customisation I tested was adding a drizzle of icing using powdered/icing sugar mixed with fresh orange juice to add a bit of extra sweetness and fresh orange flavour (might try adding orange zest to it as well next time). Baked mine for about 40-45 minutes at 160 C fan-forced, tested with a skewer at 35 mins and again at 45. Will be sharing photos on my vegan foodie Instagram @chowdownvegan. Can’t wait to try more recipes from this blog!
Anthea says
I'm so glad that you enjoyed this recipe and found it easy to make/bake! Love your little additions and the cake on your Instagram looks beautiful! Thanks for your detailed feedback - it's so much appreciated xx
Lucy says
Can you use normal flour or something else if you don't have starch or cornflour? Thank you!
Anthea says
Yes absolutely! If you're replacing just the starch/corn flour, you can replace it 1:1 :).
Charlie says
Hello, do you use a fan-forced oven or regular oven for this recipe? Thanks
Anthea says
This recipe will work with either a fan forced (convection) or conventional oven. The temperature is for a conventional oven but some ovens heat very quickly from the top so keep an eye on your cake so it doesn't burn!
Afsan says
Hi, there are 2 questions! a-can we whole mandarin instead of orange? b- can we use blended whole/ raw fruit?
Thanks
Anthea says
Yes, you can use whole mandarins but it's best to use ones with only a thin skin as it might be too bitter. If you would like to use raw fruit, it's best to peel it first (and this cake would be lovely with whole peeled mandarins). Hope that helps!
Afsan says
Thank you! I used two small raw organic mandarins and only one with skin and mixed it with almond milk. Added 1/2 cup sugar and the rest as you said! It turned out really delicious. The taste, smell and i loved the consistency. It is between light and dense! It is great with coconut yoghurt and fresh berries. X
Anthea says
Oh that sounds absolutely lovely! I feel like I can smell and taste it from here :). I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake and thanks so much for your feedback xx
Shanti says
Hello, I would love to try baking this cake for my girlfriends birthday but I don't have potato or corn starch. Would tapioca starch be OK? It looks so delicious, thank you.
Anthea says
Hey! I wouldn't recommend tapioca starch as it makes the cake chewy. If you/your girlfriend can have gluten, try regular flour. Hope that helps!
Mary H. says
Came together perfectly! My orange needed about an hour of cooking time (I think my pot was too small), but the recipe was great. Perfect cake for a not-too-sweet dessert, or with coffee in the morning.
Anthea says
So happy you loved this recipe, thank you!
Hisa says
Hi,
I just made whole orange cake with eggs which was delicious! But I am vegan so want to make your recipe using 2 oranges without water. Do you think will it be right?
Anthea says
Hey! I've tried this recipe with 2 oranges without water and it doesn't work. A whole orange is structurally different from plain water and it's not interchangeable unfortunately.
Hisa says
Hi Anthea,
Thank you for your reply, it's good to know! I will make your recipe with one orange then:)
Bethany says
I didn't know what to expect with this cake, but I was blown away! The perfect amount of orange and the exact texture you look for in a cake. It suits me perfectly without oil and I will definitely be making this again!
Anthea says
Aw that's amazing! Thank you Bethany!
Deborah Horwitz says
Hi, this looks amazing, do you think I could use coconut sugar instead of cane sugar? Thank you
Anthea says
Thank you! It's possible to use coconut sugar in the cake but it will just change its colour and the orange flavour will come through differently (it'll be like eating orange and caramel together). Hope that helps!
Shu Xian says
Hi Anthea,
Can i substitute some of the almond flour with Oatflour or Coconut flour as I do not have enough almond flour.
Anthea says
Hey! I haven't tried it but I think it will work. However coconut flour is 4 times more absorbent than other flours so it will change the structure of the cake and it depends how much you use.
Gigi says
Hi Anthea,
I love your recipes! This one will come handy as I have a mandarin tree outside that we enjoy. My question is - Do you think I could boil a big batch of mandarins, puree them divide into a few ziplock bags, and freeze for future use?
Anthea says
Aw thank you! Yes, I reckon you could do that! I love that idea actually - it takes bulk cooking to a whole new level 🙂
Bruna Azevedo says
This recipe is amazing! I decided to make a cake for my grandmother and didn't have any almond flower so I used plain all-purpose flour instead and eyeballed some coconut into the mix (about 2/3 cup). After blending the whole orange (because I don't have a food processor) I added only half of all the other ingredients and mixed as little as possible as Anthea said overmixing might make the cake tough. Then I finished mixing the rest with a spatula in a bowl. Btw I used corn starch... it turned out sooo good! Soft on the inside and a little bit crunchy on the outside.
Anthea says
Aw thanks sooo much for your feedback! I'm so glad that it worked with all-purpose flour and that amount of coconut oil! It sounds lovely, I need to try that combination myself 🙂
Gosiat says
Potato starch is a common product of Poland. Can find it every shop just like ketchup or salt. If someone live in usa/canada/uk etc. Where you can find polish grocery stores, there youll.find potato starch for 100%
Anthea says
Thanks so much for the tip!