🍊✨ Flourless Orange Pistachio Cake
Mediterranean • Gluten-free • Moist • Fragrant
This cake uses whole oranges, pistachios, and almond meal—a classic Mediterranean technique that gives deep flavor and incredible texture.
⭐ Ingredients
For the cake
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2 medium oranges (whole, with peel)
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1 ¼ cups (150g) pistachios (unsalted, shelled)
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1 ¼ cups (150g) almond flour
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1 cup (200g) sugar or honey (you can reduce to ¾ cup)
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5 large eggs
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1 ½ tsp baking powder
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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1 pinch salt
Optional Mediterranean toppings
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Crushed pistachios
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Orange zest
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Honey drizzle
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A sprinkle of powdered sugar
🍽️ Instructions
1️⃣ Cook the oranges (important!)
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Place whole oranges (unpeeled) in a pot.
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Cover with water and simmer 40 minutes until completely soft.
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Drain, cool, and remove any seeds.
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Blend the entire oranges (peel + pulp) into a smooth purée.
→ This gives the cake its incredibly moist texture and citrus fragrance.
2️⃣ Prepare the nut base
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Grind pistachios in a blender or food processor until finely chopped (not paste).
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Mix pistachios with almond flour, baking powder, and salt.
3️⃣ Make the batter
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In a large bowl, beat eggs + sugar (or honey) for 2–3 minutes until pale.
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Add vanilla.
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Stir in the orange purée.
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Gently fold in the pistachio–almond mixture.
The batter will be thick and fragrant.
4️⃣ Bake
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Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F).
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Line an 8-inch (20cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.
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Pour in the batter, smooth the top.
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Bake 55–65 minutes, until golden and set.
→ The top may crack slightly — totally normal!
(If top browns too quickly, tent with foil.)
5️⃣ Cool & serve
Cool completely before slicing (it firms as it cools).
Top with:
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Crushed pistachios
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Fresh orange zest
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Honey drizzle or powdered sugar
Moist, aromatic, and naturally gluten-free!
🌿 Mediterranean Variations
Pistachio–Rose Cake
Add 1–2 tsp rose water to the batter.
Garnish with pistachios + dried edible rose petals.
Orange–Cardamom Cake
Add ½ tsp cardamom for Middle Eastern warmth.
Honey-Sweetened Version
Replace sugar with ¾–1 cup honey and reduce baking temperature to 160°C.
