This almond blood orange cake is a delicious iced cake that is made from a handful of basic ingredients, but looks so impressive and tastes amazing. And that vibrant icing is all natural colour!
We have been enjoying this incredibly light mandarin almond cake over the winter; however looking at the blood oranges sat in the fruit bowl, I wanted to make a cake with them that was slightly heavier in texture so it could stand up to icing. I say heavier, but the cake is not dense, it just has a little more structure! The blood orange zest is used to flavour the cake, and the blood orange juice makes the beautiful pink icing.
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Ingredient notes and substitutions
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient quantities.
- Almond meal – known as ground almonds if you are in the UK. Finer almond flour can be used in this recipe too. Love baking with almond meal, be sure to look at these almond meal recipes!
- Cornflour – or cornstarch if you are in the US. If you are in Australia and are wanting to make this a gluten-free cake, make sure you use a cornflour that isn’t made from wheat.
- Icing sugar – use pure icing sugar if you are in Australia, and make sure it is gluten-free.
Tips
- Natural pink icing: For the most vibrant coloured icing, make sure to use the darkest blood orange you can find, or start adding the juice from the darker end of the blood orange.
- Baking powder: don’t be tempted to add more baking powder! I tested the cake with a teaspoon and it ended up sinking in the middle. It still tasted ok, so I turned it upside down to ice it!
Make ahead/storage
- The iced cake will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days. If decorating with fresh blood orange slices (like in these images) add them just before serving otherwise the juice can weep on to the icing.
Why not try…
If you love cooking with citrus fruit, you may like these other citrus cake recipes:
Blood Orange Cake (Gluten-Free)
Author: Robyn
This beautiful blood orange and almond cake is made from simple ingredients and is a delicious simple gluten-free cake.
Gluten Free
Equipment
- 19cm / 8 inch round cake tin with a loose base greased and lined
Ingredients
- 125 g butter softened
- 140 g caster sugar
- 100 g ground almonds almond meal
- 40 g cornflour make sure it is made from corn not from wheat
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- 3 eggs size large
- 1 blood orange zested
Icing
- 150 g icing sugar
- 1 blood orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan / 200℃ / 392℉.
- Grease and line a loose-based 19cm / 8 inch round cake tin with baking paper.
- Cream the butter, caster sugar and orange zest in a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, or use electric beaters, until light and fluffy.
- In a small bowl, mix together the almond meal / ground almonds, cornflour / starch, baking powder and a pinch of salt.
- Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mixture 1 at a time, alternating with the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
- Spoon the batter into the lined tin, place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then turn out to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before icing.
Blood Orange Icing
- Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl.
- Add the blood orange juice a little at a time, stirring, until you get a thick but pourable consistency.
- Spread the icing over the cake.
- Leave to set, then serve.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
INGREDIENTS NOTES
- Almond meal – known as ground almonds if you are in the UK. Finer almond flour can be used in this recipe too.
- Cornflour – or cornstarch if you are in the US. If you are in Australia and are wanting to make this a gluten-free cake, make sure you use a cornflour that isn’t made from wheat.
- Icing sugar – use pure icing sugar if you are in Australia, and make sure it is gluten-free.
- Natural pink icing: For the most vibrant coloured icing, make sure to use the darkest blood orange you can find, or start adding the juice from the darker end of the blood orange.
- Baking powder: don’t be tempted to add more baking powder! I tested the cake with a teaspoon and it ended up sinking in the middle. It still tasted ok, so I turned it upside down to ice it!
Nutrition
Calories: 293kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 132mgPotassium: 37mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 390IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to see your creation!
Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen
Or just leave a comment below!
Ingredients
- 125 g butter softened
- 140 g caster sugar
- 100 g almond meal
- 40 g cornflour make sure it is made from corn not from wheat
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- 3 eggs size large
- 1 blood orange zested
Icing
- 150 g icing sugar
- 1 blood orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan / 200℃ / 392℉.
- Grease and line a loose-based 19cm / 8 inch round cake tin with baking paper.
- Cream the butter, caster sugar and orange zest in a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, or use electric beaters, until light and fluffy.
- In a small bowl, mix together the almond meal / ground almonds, cornflour / starch, baking powder and a pinch of salt.
- Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mixture 1 at a time, alternating with the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
- Spoon the batter into the lined tin, place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then turn out to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before icing.
Blood Orange Icing
- Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl.
- Add the blood orange juice a little at a time, stirring, until you get a thick but pourable consistency.
- Spread the icing over the cake.
- Leave to set, then serve.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
INGREDIENTS NOTES
- Almond meal – known as ground almonds if you are in the UK. Finer almond flour can be used in this recipe too.
- Cornflour – or cornstarch if you are in the US. If you are in Australia and are wanting to make this a gluten-free cake, make sure you use a cornflour that isn’t made from wheat.
- Icing sugar – use pure icing sugar if you are in Australia, and make sure it is gluten-free.
- Natural pink icing: For the most vibrant coloured icing, make sure to use the darkest blood orange you can find, or start adding the juice from the darker end of the blood orange.
- Baking powder: don’t be tempted to add more baking powder! I tested the cake with a teaspoon and it ended up sinking in the middle. It still tasted ok, so I turned it upside down to ice it!
Nutrition
Calories: 293kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 132mgPotassium: 37mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 390IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to see your creation!
Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen
Or just leave a comment below!
Ingredients
- 125 g butter softened
- 140 g caster sugar
- 100 g almond flour (almond meal)
- 40 g cornstarch make sure from corn, not from wheat
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- 3 eggs size large
- 1 blood orange zested
Icing
- 150 g icing sugar
- 1 blood orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan / 200℃ / 392℉.
- Grease and line a loose-based 19cm / 8 inch round cake tin with baking paper.
- Cream the butter, caster sugar and orange zest in a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, or use electric beaters, until light and fluffy.
- In a small bowl, mix together the almond meal / ground almonds, cornflour / starch, baking powder and a pinch of salt.
- Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mixture 1 at a time, alternating with the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
- Spoon the batter into the lined tin, place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then turn out to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before icing.
Blood Orange Icing
- Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl.
- Add the blood orange juice a little at a time, stirring, until you get a thick but pourable consistency.
- Spread the icing over the cake.
- Leave to set, then serve.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
INGREDIENTS NOTES
- Almond meal – known as ground almonds if you are in the UK. Finer almond flour can be used in this recipe too.
- Cornflour – or cornstarch if you are in the US. If you are in Australia and are wanting to make this a gluten-free cake, make sure you use a cornflour that isn’t made from wheat.
- Icing sugar – use pure icing sugar if you are in Australia, and make sure it is gluten-free.
- Natural pink icing: For the most vibrant coloured icing, make sure to use the darkest blood orange you can find, or start adding the juice from the darker end of the blood orange.
- Baking powder: don’t be tempted to add more baking powder! I tested the cake with a teaspoon and it ended up sinking in the middle. It still tasted ok, so I turned it upside down to ice it!
Nutrition
Calories: 293kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 132mgPotassium: 37mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 390IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to see your creation!
Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen
Or just leave a comment below!
Let me know your thoughts!