This moist keto orange cake is made with almond flour and whole oranges - skins and all. It is low carb, gluten-free, dairy-free and sweetened with stevia.
I am totally in love with this flourless almond and orange cake!
Traditional orange cakes are normally very high in carbs, because they contain a lot of sugars due to the high fructose content. There's the table sugar, the sugar in the orange juice and of course, the sugars from the starch in the wheat flour.
The cool thing about this cake is that contains ALL of the orange, flesh and skin. You simply cook your oranges in water for 1 hour until they are nice and soft. This also makes the skin taste less bitter. Then you puree the whole orange until you have a fragrant, tasty pulp. You are literally using all of the fibre an orange has to offer, which slows the absorption of the sugar in the fruit. And you get all the taste.
On top of that, this is an almond flour cake. So, instead of wheat, we're using almond flour.
With my recipe, you can enjoy a slice of keto orange cake that will keep you on plan at only 3.5g net carbs per slice.
I have made a keto banana bread that won't kick you out of ketosis - with REAL banana. The same goes for this "sugar free" orange cake!
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fluffy, light texture
- Fragrant orange flavor
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Low carb and keto-friendly
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need:
- Almond flour - I used ground almonds, which is equivalent to regular almond flour. For super-fine almond flour, reduce by 25 grams or ¼ cup.
- Oranges - unwaxed, washed. Juicing oranges are ideal. See more details below.
- Eggs - should be room temperature.
- Baking powder
- Orange extract
- Vanilla bean powder or vanilla extract
- Cardamom
- Vanilla stevia - or your sugar substitute of choice. I have used only 16 drops of liquid vanilla stevia in this recipe. This amount is equivalent to 4 teaspoons of sugar. If you don't have stevia, you can use xylitol or erythritol instead. Increase the sweetness to your liking.
Which oranges to choose
Oranges differ greatly, depending on variety and time of year. Some are very sweet, some less so. Some have thick skins, some have thin ones. That's why you should always taste the batter and adjust the sweetness if needed.
My oranges were VERY sweet and had a surprisingly thin skin. A thick-skinned orange will result in a more bitter batter.
If your oranges DO have a thicker skin, you can cut off the top and bottom before blending.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Step 1: Put the oranges into a pot filled with cold water and cover with a lid. Bring to the boil, then simmer for at least 1 hour. Make sure the oranges are always submerged. This removes the bitterness. Drain and let cool.
Step 2: Cut the oranges in half and remove any seeds, then puree in a food processor or with a stick blender.
Step 3: Separate the eggs. In a large mixing bowl, combine the orange pulp with all ingredients except the egg whites. I used a spatula to do this.
Step 4: Now, whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form.
Step 5: Fold the egg whites into the cake batter. This will make the cake lighter in texture.
Step 6: Pour the batter into your cake tin and sprinkle flaked almonds on top.
Step 7: Bake in the oven until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Top Tip
Separating the eggs and beating the egg whites to stiff peaks is essential for a light and fluffy cake texture. Don't miss this step.
Recipe FAQs
Oranges are relatively high in carbs and the internet will tell you that it is NOT a keto friendly fruit. One medium orange contains 12 grams of net carbs. However, it will always depend on the AMOUNT of orange (or any other fruit) you eat. I would definitely NOT eat an entire orange in one go. But eating â…™ of an orange including the skin, as you would with this cake, is perfectly low in carbs!
You should not drink orange juice on a keto diet. or on a low carb diet. It's all the sugar from the orange, without any of the fibre! Think about it - you need to juice at least 3 oranges for a full glass of orange juice. That's 36 grams of net carbs. On a keto diet you generally eat between 20 to 30 net carbs per day. So, orange juice is NOT keto!
Yes. You can use tangerines, lemons or even grapefruit. Note that you will have to adjust the amount of sweetener accordingly.
Serving Suggestion
I like to call this orange cake a "breakfast cake" because it is filling, nutritious and a great way to kickstart your day.
You can enjoy it as it is, or spread it with butter. It's great alongside an almond milk matcha latte, a cup of keto iced coffee or a refreshing glass of avocado milk.
But of course, nothing should stop you from having it as a dessert!
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Slice and freeze for up to 3 months. Layer parchment paper between the slices so they don't stick.
More Keto Orange Recipes
- Healthy Chocolate Orange Cake1 Hours
- Sugar Free Orange Marmalade Recipe (Keto)2 Hours 40 Minutes
- Healthy Cranberry Orange Scones23 Minutes
- Keto Orange Cheesecake1 Hours 30 Minutes
More Sugar Free Cake Recipes
Here are more easy sugar-free loaf cake recipes to try:
- Keto Marble Cake1 Hours 15 Minutes
- Keto Peanut Butter Bread1 Hours 10 Minutes
- Keto Cinnamon Bread1 Hours
- Keto Blueberry Bread1 Hours 10 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Orange Cake
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups almond flour 250g, or ground almonds. **see notes
- 2 oranges unwaxed, washed ***see notes
- 5 eggs medium, separated (or 4 large)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or vanilla extract
- seeds of 6 cardamom pods crushed
- 16 drops liquid stevia or to taste. Option to use 4 tsp-¼ cup granulated sweetener of choice
- handful flaked almonds to decorate
Instructions
- Put the oranges into a pot filled with cold water and cover with a lid. Bring to the boil, then simmer for at least 1 hour. Make sure the oranges are always submerged. This removes the bitterness.
- Drain the water and let the oranges cool down.
- Cut the oranges in half and remove any seeds, then puree in a food processor or with a stick blender.
- Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius/ 350 Fahrenheit electric or 160C / 320F fan. Line a 9x5 inch bread baking tin with parchment paper.
- Separate the eggs and whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. This will make the cake lighter in texture.
- Add all ingredients except the egg whites to the orange pulp and mix. Lastly, fold in the egg whites until well-combined. Test your batter for sweetness and adjust to taste.
- Pour the batter into your cake tin and sprinkle flaked almonds on top. Bake for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Tiffany
Love the concept about using the whole oranges - but even with 18 stevia drops, the cake is not sweet enough. Need to add top icing on the one I just baked.
Katrin Nürnberger
The sweetness will depend on many things - the sweetness of the oranges, the thickness of the orange skin and your personal idea of what is "just right". I always recommend that you taste the batter before you bake and add more sweetener if you feel it needs. But like you say, if you still feel it's not sweet enough, add some icing on top!
Katie
I initially made this because it had the whole orange in it and that sounded so good. It's amazing!! I've since made 2 more times in double batches, and put some in the freezer for Christmas Day. Everyone loves it here.
Jules
Have made this twicTwo very different batches due to differences in orane now. A hit with everyone, whether they are low carbers or not. The two recipes were different in volume due to the disparity in orange sizes from one batch tp the next, yet they both turned out delicious. Love it.
Diksha
Hi ..this recipe sounds delicious and I want to try it tomorrow. I had a few questions though. Should I blend the orange skin/ peel as well? Also, can I substitute eggs with flax eggs? Thank you.
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Diksha, you blend the entire orange, including the peel. Be sure to choose a variety with a thin skin. Juicing oranges are normally good. The white part can be bitter if it's thick.
As for the flax eggs, this will change the texture of the cake and make it less fluffy. But if you often bake with flax eggs, I'm sure you know that anyway. You will definitely need to use something like xanthan gum to help bind as well.
Pamela
Thanks again Katrin, for your delicious offerings. Your recipes make my Keto lifestyle so much easier.
I appreciate reading the comments to get tips so this detail may help others.
I made a few alterations that I am very happy with.
I added 125 grams butter to give a fuller flavour and more moisture.
I couldn’t access orange extract so used 50 drops of DoTerra Orange Essential Oil.
I love Poppy-Seed Citrus Cakes so added 2 tablespoon to provide yummy crunch.
I also subbed the Vanilla Stevia for 1 teaspoon Vanilla Powder and 4 teaspoons Erythritol.
I got 12 cup-cakes out of your recipe (180°C for 35-40 minutes)and serve them with berries and cream for dessert
Danielle
This is a truly fantastic cake! After reading the comments, I cut just the "navel" and opposite side of the orange peel off (the thickest part on the ends with the bitter bits) about ½ inch from the stem point all around, leaving all the rest of the peeling on.. I upped the sweetener to 2 Tbsp of Lakanto Monkfruit. I served it with optional small scoop of keto vanilla ice cream. My family was amazed and couldn't believe this was a healthy, low carb dessert.
Sue
My cake turned out too bitter, I even desperately added some sugar to the batter (I had used maple syrup). I think it came down to the type of orange (?), it did have a thicker peel I guess. The texture after baking was lovely and moist. Such a shame to throw out. I might try again if I find a thin skinned orange.
Katrin Nürnberger
What a shame! Yes, I think it's really important to find oranges with a thin skin. I find juicing oranges normally do.
klaudia
Could you please let me know what are the measurements of your baking tray? Could I use loaf tin as for banana bread?
Katrin Nürnberger
I just used a loaf tin!
Deb
Excellent! Moist and flavorful! I served it with blueberries and it was a big hit. Thank you for this healthy treat.
Deb
Forgot to ask, what's the best way to store the cake? Thanks
Katrin Nürnberger
I always tend to leave cake out for a day and then store it in the fridge afterwards, just so it's out of the way and I don't eat too much of it!! It's also good for freezing - slice it first, then you can take out a piece at a time.
Katrin Nürnberger
I must try adding blueberries next time! I love them in combination with lemon, and orange is the next best thing... bet that tasted lovely.
Jen
Hello, would replacing stevia by a more natural sugar like maple syrup etc work?
Thanks!
Katrin
Yes, I think that should be no problem. As you're adding more liquid, check your batter and see if you need a little additional almond flour to get it to a good consistency.