Usually when someone talks about flourless cake I immediately think chocolate. While the chocolate version is obviously delicious, this orange cake is a nice change of flavor and texture. Its not technically flourless, it has almond and hazelnut flour, but it is gluten free since it contains no wheat flour. I love the combination of orange and rosemary together but if you dislike it you can leave it out.
Ingredients-
I.5 sticks butter softened
1 cup sugar
Zest from 3 oranges
4 eggs
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup hazelnut flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
For the syrup -
1/2 cup sugar
Juice from three oranges that were zested for the cake
Whipped cream or ice cream
Preheat the oven to 350. Coat an 8 inch cake pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper. Put the sugar and orange zest in a food processor and pulse until all the zest has been incorporated into the sugar. Add the orange sugar and softened butter to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until they are light and fluffy. About 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and mix until combined with the sugar and butter. In a separate bowl mix together the almond and hazelnut flours, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Add to the stand mixer and mix until well combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and use a spatula to even it out and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes until the cake is golden brown and the center is set. A toothpick should come out clean.
*my oven runs hot and it took about 25 minutes. I would start checking it around 20 minutes and go from there since every oven is different.
While the cake is baking make the syrup. Juice the three oranges you zested for the cake, you should have around 3/4 cup of juice. Combine the juice with 1/2 cup sugar and the rosemary in a small sauce pan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved and it has thickened a little. About 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit with the rosemary in it to steep while the cake finishes baking. Then strain the syrup through a mesh sieve to remove the rosemary and any pulp.
When the cake is finished baking let it cool for 10 minutes then invert the pan onto a serving platter and remove the parchment. Brush the still warm cake with half the syrup so it will absorb into the cake.
Serve with with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of the remaining syrup.
Bonus!!! - any leftover syrup is great in a gin and tonic
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