Look mum! No butter, no gluten and no dairy!

If I was a mother, I'd appreciate anything that comes from the heart of my children. (With that said, I'm not thinking of becoming a mother any time soon though!). You see, I like things that come from the heart; not just purchased off the shelf at the last minute. I like genuine thoughtfulness. Kind gestures. Qualities that I wish were in every human being. I know I'm dreaming of a world that can never be. And it crushes me deep down inside..

Anyway, with Mother's Day coming up, why don't you too, make something for someone? Be it your mother, grandmother, aunty, or even someone else's mother. If the thought is there, the appreciation and gratitude is as well.

Personally (as selfish as this sounds), I was kinda craving for a flourless orange cake. So that's what I made. Haha. :P.


Of course, the first slice and taste went to mummy. :)


This was my first time making a flourless orange cake. I love how it has no added butter and oils, and is gluten and dairy-free! (Not that I have any issues with gluten or dairy. I love my gluten. Haha). The cake was a success, but my orange syrup.. well, I need to remember to use my candy thermometer next time. I ended up with an orange toffee glaze instead. Which was reasonably okay! It added a chewy/crunchy texture to the moist dense orangey cake. No big deal in the end, but I did freak out during the process of making the 'syrup' last night! -__-

Flourless orange cake with orange syrup
Makes a 20cm diameter cake, serves 10-15

505g oranges (2 large oranges), washed
150g almond meal
150g sugar
4 eggs (70g eggs), separated
1 tsp baking powder (gluten free)

For orange syrup:
1 extra orange
150g sugar

Place clean oranges in a pot of water. Boil and simmer for an hour or until soft.
Drain and leave to cool.

Preheat oven to 170C.

Chop oranges into pieces, removing any seeds/pips.
Process oranges in a blender until a smooth orange paste is formed.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Slowly add sugar and continue beating until smooth and glossy.

In a large mixing bowl, combine almond meal, baking powder, orange paste and egg yolks.
Add 1/3 of the egg mixture and combine. Then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites.

Pour into a lined 22cm diameter springform baking pan. Leave to rest for 10mins.

Bake for 1hr 5mins or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Make the syrup

Finely grate orange rind. Set aside.
Juice orange and pour into a small saucepan. Add sugar and rind.
Simmer on low until syrup consistency. (Temperature should not go above 110C otherwise it will turn into toffee or brittle if higher. Use a candy thermometer.. I couldn't be bothered finding it, and I overestimated, so I ended up with a toffee.. Haha -__-)

Pour over orange cake.
Decorate with almond flakes.



Allow to cool before refrigerating overnight.


Serve with a nice cup of tea.
The cake itself is not too sweet but the toffee gives it more of the sweetness, as well as a little crunch.