There is something quietly radical about a cake that asks nothing of you but patience. No butter, no flour, no fuss — just whole oranges, coaxed into silk through three rounds of boiling, then blitzed with almond meal and honey into a batter of extraordinary depth. The rind stays in. The bitterness transforms. What emerges from the oven is both ancient and modern: dense, fragrant, and genuinely unforgettable.
Ingredients
- 600 g whole oranges with rind on (about 2 medium)
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 220 g honey
- 250 g almond meal / ground almonds
- 6 g baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Method
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01
Place the whole, unpeeled oranges in a pot. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, discard the water, and repeat this process two more times — three boilings in total.
Shortcut: boil continuously for 40 minutes, topping up the water as needed. The triple-boil method removes bitterness in stages for a more nuanced result.
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02
Remove the oranges and allow to cool slightly until handleable. Slice into 1 cm rounds, then roughly dice — removing any seeds as you go. Spread on a plate and allow to cool completely before blitzing.
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03
Preheat your oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Grease a 23 cm round cake pan and line the base and sides with baking paper.
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04
Transfer the cooled orange pieces — rind, pith, and all — to the bowl of a food processor. Blitz until the mixture is smooth and marmalade-like in consistency.
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05
Add the almond meal, eggs, honey, baking powder, and baking soda to the food processor. Blitz for 5–10 seconds only, until the batter just comes together. Do not over-process.
The batter will be loose and fragrant. Trust it.
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06
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and transfer to the centre of the preheated oven. Bake for 60 minutes, or until the cake is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
If the surface colours too quickly, tent loosely with foil from the 40-minute mark.
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07
Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before turning out. It will settle and firm as it cools.
Notes & Tips
The whole rind is the secret. Three rounds of boiling transforms the peel from bitter to gloriously fragrant — do not skip this step.
Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, making it suitable for a wide range of dietary needs without compromise on flavour.
Stores beautifully for 3–4 days in an airtight container at room temperature, improving in flavour overnight.
Serve with crème fraîche, a dusting of icing sugar, or candied orange slices for an elegant finish.
