This tender almond flour cake is loaded with quintessential spices and flavors of the holiday season – orange, cinnamon, almond and vanilla. Topped with a sweet honey glaze and showered with pistachios and walnuts, it’s like biting into a moist and fluffy cake version of a baklava. The best part is, because of the honey sugar syrup and almond flour, it stays moist for days, though you probably won’t have many leftovers.
Orange Cinnamon Almond Cake
This tender almond flour cake is loaded with quintessential spices and flavors of the holiday season – orange, cinnamon, almond and vanilla. Topped with a sweet honey glaze and showered with pistachios and walnuts, it’s like biting into a moist and fluffy cake version of a baklava. The best part is, because of the honey sugar syrup and almond flour, it stays moist for days, though you probably won’t have many leftovers.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from 1 organic lemon
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, from one organic navel orange
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (165 grams) almond flour
- 1 ½ cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the syrup:
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 whole cloves
For the frosting and topping:
- ¼ cup walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons pistachios, lightly toasted and very coarsely chopped
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of allspice
- 2-3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Combine the sugar, orange zest and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on low for a few seconds, then add the butter. Cream the butter and sugar together for 4-5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients together. Combine the almond flour, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl then add them one at a time to the stand mixer, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides to ensure even mixing. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until it is incorporated, then add all of the yogurt and vanilla, scraping the sides as needed to fully incorporate the ingredients. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smooth the top, then bake for 30-35 minutes until firm to the touch and fully baked.
- While the cake bakes, make your sugar syrup. Warm the sugar, cloves and juices in a small saucepan and simmer for 1 minute. Take the pan off of the heat and add the honey and vanilla. Allow it to cool down, and for the cloves to infuse the syrup with their flavor.
- When the cake is finished, remove it from the oven and place on a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, use a skewer to poke holes in the cake evenly spaced. Remove the cloves from the syrup, then brush the sugar syrup over the cake. Let the cake cool completely.
- To finish the cake, place the cooled cake on a plate or cake stand. Combine the powdered sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons of orange juice, cinnamon and allspice together. It should be thick, and just barely pourable. Add more juice if needed. Spread it over the top of the cake, pushing it to the edges and letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle the entire surface with the nuts right away. The frosting will harden, and the nuts won’t stick to the glaze if you wait too long.
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