Gluten-Free Buckwheat Orange Cake
Dense, nutty gluten-free cake combining buckwheat flour and almond meal with bright orange zest and juice. Stabilized with separated eggs and folded egg whites for lightness. Finished with walnuts and baked until a knife tests clean. Naturally grain-free with warm cinnamon notes.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9-inch pan.
- 2
Combine almond meal, buckwheat flour, salt, cinnamon, orange zest, and baking powder in a bowl.
- 3
Beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks one at a time.
- 4
Alternate adding the dry mixture and milk to the butter mixture, stirring until combined.
- 5
Whip egg whites with remaining sugar until stiff peaks form.
- 6
Stir one quarter of the egg whites into the batter to lighten, then gently fold in the remaining whites.
- 7
Pour batter into greased pan and smooth the top.
- 8
Bake for 50-60 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if browning too quickly.
- 9
Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely.
Tips
Separate eggs when cold, then bring to room temperature before beating for better volume and integration.
Orange juice brightens the dense crumb; do not skip or the nutty flavor may overwhelm.
Good to Know
Wrap cooled cake in plastic wrap and store at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 4 days. Freezes up to 1 month.
Prepare dry ingredients 1 day ahead. Bake up to 2 days prior to serving.
Serve at room temperature or lightly warmed. Pairs with whipped cream, yogurt, or tea.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip room temperature ingredients to avoid curdling and uneven crumb.
Do not deflate egg whites by overfold; use a rubber spatula and gentle hand.
Do not open oven during first 40 minutes to avoid collapse.
Do not overbake; knife test at 50 minutes to avoid dry cake.