Gluten-Free Orange Drizzle Cake
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosures.
This gorgeous Gluten-Free Orange Drizzle Cake recipe is a lovely simple afternoon tea cake for citrus lovers with zesty fresh orange flavour and a very moist, tender crumb. It's an easy recipe to bake with your favourite gluten-free flour, ground almonds and no xanthan gum needed. Topped with a simple orange juice icing, this loaf cake is soft, moist, quick to make and intensely orangey!
So many gluten-free cakes can seem overcomplicated but I'm happy to share that this easy Gluten-Free Orange Drizzle Cake is so simple to make with easy ingredients to source and the most amazing taste. It is a straightforward and incredible gluten free option and perfect for novice bakers.
I'll take you through the whole recipe step-by-step with photos, a video so you can bake it perfectly first time with lots of expert tips. Including how to stop your batter from splitting (it's quite common with gluten-free recipes as we tend to use a lot of fat and eggs to help with the texture), the best gluten-free flour to use (spoiler alert - you can use any!!) and how you can get as much orange flavour into your cake as possible for a really zesty cake.
This recipe needs no special equipment, you should be able to get all the ingredients from your local supermarket and no gums are required. I promise this moist orange drizzle cake will become your new favourite to bake and you'll receive such rave reviews from your whole family you'll be baking it again and again.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Orange Drizzle Cake
- Simple cake using easy to get hold of ingredients - no tricky flours and no xanthan gum.
- Good orange flavour thanks to using both fresh orange juice and lots of orange zest which gives a much better result than orange extract which I think tastes a little like soap.
- Very moist cake which uses lots of eggs and, ground almonds and orange juice to contribute to its gorgeous texture.
- Decorated with orange slices placed over the top before baking. They look beautiful when the cake is baked and you can eat the whole slice including the orange peel - they are gorgeous and deliciously chewy.
- Very easy orange glaze over the top of the cake using just icing sugar and orange juice.
- This is a great recipe for afternoon tea, a special occasion like Mother’s Day or for baking on a rainy Saturday.
✨Another really popular gluten-free orange cake recipe on this site in this Whole Orange Cake with Chocolate Chips which uses whole oranges to make the batter and polenta and almond flour instead of gluten-free all-purpose flour.✨
Watch the Video
Sometimes it helps to see a visual of what I'm talking about. So watch the video to see what it looks like to make your orange loaf cake.
Ingredients and Notes
Gluten-free flour. This recipe can be made with your favourite brand of gluten-free all purpose flour. I also particularly recommend my Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Mix which gives great results.
Almond flour. (ground almonds) You are looking for blanched ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>>Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds.
Fresh oranges. Make sure they are unwaxed and organic otherwise you need to scrub off the wax. You can use any large oranges for this recipe but I used navel oranges which are very easy to get hold of. If you are U.S based then Cara Cara oranges are lovely too. However, this recipe also works beautifully with blood oranges if they are in season and they give such a lovely colour to the icing.
Caster sugar. It’s a fine white baking sugar. You can substitute for granulated sugar.
Butter. Unsalted is the best choice here. Make sure it is at room temperature.
Vanilla extract. Use a good quality extract, I like Nielsen Massey. It isn’t a totally essential ingredient but I do love the richness that vanilla lends to the base flavour of this cake.
Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell).
Baking powder. A leaving agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.
Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.
Icing sugar (powdered sugar). Used to make the orange icing for the final drizzle over the cake.
How To Make Gluten-Free Orange Drizzle Cake
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Pre-heat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted / gas mark 4 / 350°F and grease a 2lb loaf tin.
Sieve gluten-free flour, almond flour (ground almonds), baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Slice half of one the oranges into 4 thin slices.
Zest the rest of the orange and the other one and rub zest into sugar until fragrant.
Cream together butter and sugar in a mixer for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well. Add a tablespoon of the flour mixture after each egg, finishing with the rest of the flour. Mix until well combined.
Finally, mix in the vanilla extract and juice of one orange.
Pour batter into the loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes until golden brown. Let the cake settle for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to let the cake cool.
Make icing by whisking icing sugar with orange juice until smooth. Drizzle icing over the cooled cake.
Expert Tips
Sharp Knife. Use a very sharp knife to ensure the oranges are sliced very finely.
Room Temperature Ingredients. For the best results ensure that all the ingredients including the eggs and butter are at room temperature. This helps in achieving a smoother batter, even mixing and helps them to emulsify together so the cake isn’t greasy.
Measure Ingredients Accurately. Use exact measurements for all ingredients, this is especially the case when working with gluten-free flours. And I urge you to use digital scales, any slight variation in measurements can alter the desired texture and consistency.
Avoid Cake Batter Splitting. There are a lot of eggs in this recipe so sometimes the batter can split. To help it remain cohesive then ensure your eggs are at room temperature and then after every addition add a tablespoon of the flour mix.
Test The Cake to Ensure It's Baked. To ensure your cake is baked properly, use the toothpick test by inserting a toothpick (or thin wooden skewer) into the centre– if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is done. Check for a golden-brown colour on top, a slight shrinking from the edges of the cake tin, and a springy texture when gently pressed.
FAQs
You can use your favourite gluten-free flour blend in this recipe. Different gluten-free flour blends may yield varying results. Some popular options include a blend of rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour. Or you can choose my Homemade Flour Blend which works perfectly.
Some gluten-free flour blends contain xanthan gum as a binder. However, even if your chosen gluten-free flour doesn’t xanthan gum is not necessary for this recipe as the cake will not crumble and has a lovely tender texture thanks to the ground almonds.
This is an easy cake to make and although you don't need any special equipment you might like to use either an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer to beat the ingredients together. Making this cake by manual hand labour is doable but you might not achieve a result quite as light.
This cake has only been tested with eggs and dairy ingredients. You can substitute the dairy if you have a favourite plant based butter which works well as a 1:1 swap. However, since this recipe uses so many eggs I don’t advise you swapping for any egg alternatives as this might alter the recipe significantly.
This recipe has been tested in a 2lb loaf tin. Approximately 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) in length, 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) in width, and 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) in depth. This is a standard size for many loaf pans used in baking but do keep in mind that specific brands or manufacturers might produce slightly different dimensions.
Yes, this cake keeps well for up to 5 days when you follow the storage instructions below.
You can store this cake in an airtight container (but preferably tin rather than plastic as it plastic will keep the cake too warm. Then store the cake in a cool dark place. It also stores very well in the fridge for up to a week but allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
Absolutely. You can freeze the cake successfully by double wrapping it. First wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then aluminium foil. Then either place in a resealable freezer bag or airtight container. Don’t forget to label including the date. To enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, allowing it to come to room temperature before serving.
Yes, you can experiment with other citrus fruits like lemons, limes, or a combination of different citrus flavours.
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes You’ll Love!
Enter your email below to get this recipe sent to your inbox plus get new recipes, baking tips, and updates.
Gluten-Free Orange Drizzle Cake
Ingredients
- 2 large oranges
- 250 g caster sugar
- 300 g unsalted butter - at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 eggs - medium
- 150 g all-purpose plain gluten-free flour
- 150 g almond flour - ground almonds in UK
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 125 g icing sugar - powdered sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted / gas mark 4 / 350°F and line and grease a 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper.
- Sieve the all-purpose gluten-free flour with the ground almonds, baking powder and salt in a separate mixing bowl and set aside until needed.
- Slice half of one of the oranges into 4 very thin slices and set aside for the decoration.
- Zest the rest of that orange and the other one too, placing it into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Rub the orange zest into the sugar until fragrant.
- Add the butter and cream the ingredients together on a medium speed in a food mixer for about 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix until completely incorporated. Add a tablespoon of the flour mix after every egg addition to help the batter emulsify.
- Mix in the rest of the flour until well combined.
- Finally add the vanilla extract and juice of one of the oranges (save the other orange for the drizzle).
- Pour into the loaf tin, arrange the reserved orange slices over the top of the batter then bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave to settle for 5 minutes in its tin, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Leave to cool completely before icing.
- Make the icing by whisking together the icing sugar with the orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over the top of the cooled cake.
I thought I'd left you a 5 star review for this cake, can't see it here.. think I may have messed up on the posting process, sorry. Let me know if you'd like me to repost.
Meant to say that I subbed the almond flour with chick pea flour, fab results.
Thank you x
This is the most delicious gluten free cake I have ever made, it rose beautifully and the texture was so good no-one could believe I hadn't used wheat flour. Your GF all purpose flour is amazing, such a clever blend, am now re-ordering the ingredients.. (ready for more Christmas baking).
I have just two comments, despite using the correct sized tin, the cake wasn't cooked in the middle after 50mins at 160 C. The middle of the cake was uncooked. I popped it back in for about another 10-12 mins which did the trick. Any tips here?
Also the icing didn't look at all like the picture, it was really runny. Perhaps heating it up in a pan would help? The recipe asks you to use an orange but I guess it could be any size so maybe a measurement of orange juice would help?
Thank you so much x
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled to hear you loved the cake and that it was such a hit—it's wonderful to know the flour blend worked so well for you.
For the baking issue, ovens can vary, so it’s always a good idea to check with a skewer near the end of the baking time to make sure it’s fully cooked. If your oven tends to bake unevenly, you could try tenting the cake with foil after about 40 minutes to prevent the top from overbrowning while the middle catches up. Another tip is to double-check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer, as some can run cooler than expected.
For the icing, you're absolutely right—using orange juice by weight or volume would help with consistency! I’ll update the recipe to include a more precise measurement.
Followed the recipe exactly but had far too much batter and the cake took an extra 30 minutes to cook? I'd also leave the orange slices off next time as they sunk into the cake and tasted quite bitter.
Tastes delicious and nice and moist. Made for members of book club a lot of whom are gluten-free. Am sure they'll love it.
I'm happy you enjoyed the recipe but maybe the wrong sized tin? Double check it as the batter is correct for the size of tin I recommend.
Hi! I am wondering when am I suppose to add the rest of the flour mixture after I mix the eggs in? It looks like, according to the pictures, right after the eggs, but before the juice and vanilla. Is that right? And how long do I mix it? I am on my second attempt right now, trying to add the flour then. But I would love to know the answer if this one is a flop as well, haha.
Apologies I missed out that step. I usually add in the flour before the vanilla and orange juice which I've just amended in the instructions to include it. Let me know how it turned out and how your last attempt was a flop as that doesn't sound great. Thanks for pointing out my error!
Hi Georgina, thanks for popping this recipe into my inbox this morning! Quick question, you say that the almond flour can be swapped out for chickpea flour. I've baked another of your recipes where you said - I think? - that the almond flour could be swapped out for sunflower seed flour. Just wondering if I can take that as a basic rule of thumb, that generally I can swap out almond flour with either sunflower seed or chickpea? Or are there reasons why one might work but the other wouldn't?
Sorry, nerdy question! I'll be baking it with almond flour today :))