Blood orange season is once again upon us and I can never let it pass without making at least one new recipe to celebrate this glorious time. This year it’s an adaptation from one of my favourite teacake recipes from Sweet, by Yotam Ottolengi and Helen Goh. I’ve swapped out most of the lemon in the original recipe for luscious blood oranges, omitted the flour so they are gluten-free, added a few fragrant spices and topped these dainty treats with candied blood orange slices for good measure.
Navel oranges can be substituted for a similar flavour, but the icing won’t have the gorgeous pink hue. Small blood oranges make the best candied slices, so they fit neatly atop the cakes. If only large blood oranges are available, cutting the slices into thirds once cooled and firm may fit better atop the teacakes, or alternatively serve the cakes the other way up. Hope you enjoy this year’s blood orange recipe as much as I have!
Blood Orange & Almond Teacakes {gluten-free}
Gluten-free blood orange and almond cakes are laced with spice, drizzled with naturally pink blood orange glaze and adorned with candied blood orange slices.
Ingredients
Blood Orange and Almond Teacakes
- 190g unsalted butter, softened
- 190g caster sugar
- 1 blood orange, zested and juiced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 140g almond meal
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Blood Orange Glaze
- 240g icing sugar mixture, sifted
- 60ml juice (reserved from teacakes)
Candied Blood Orange Slices
- ¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
- 180g caster sugar
- 3–4 green cardamom pods, split
- 1–2 cinnamon sticks
- 1–2 cloves
- 2 small blood oranges, washed and finely sliced (2-3mm), seeds removed
Instructions
Blood Orange and Almond Teacakes
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and grease a regular 12-hole muffin tin.
- Mix together almond meal, baking powder, ground spices and salt in a large bowl.
- Beat butter, sugar and zest in a free-standing mixer with paddle attachment on high speed until light and fluffy, then add in eggs one by one, until combined.
- Turn mixer down to low speed and add in almond meal mixture, then add half the blood orange juice and half the lemon juice (reserve remaining juice for the icing).
- Divide mixture evenly among holes in muffin tin, and bake teacakes for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden and a skewer comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Blood Orange Glaze
- Add blood orange and lemon juice to icing sugar and mix well until the frosting has a pouring consistency. It should be fluid but thick. If too thick, add a little more icing sugar and if too thin, add a little more juice.
Candied Blood Orange Slices
- Place lemon juice, water, sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves in a wide-based saucepan, stirring on low heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Increase the heat to medium and place blood orange slices in the pan. The pan should be wide enough so that all slices are submerged in the syrup and cook evenly.
- Simmer until slices are soft and slightly translucent (20-25 minutes) with shape still intact. Place slices on wire rack to cool.
Assembly
- Place cooled teacakes upside-down on a serving plate.
- Drizzle with blood orange glaze and decorate with cooled candied blood orange slices.
Enjoy!
Notes
Makes 12 teacakes
You may also like:
Blood Orange and Rosemary Teacakes
Blood Orange Chocolate Cake
Coconut Meringue Cupcakes + Blood Orange Curd
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