Oooh, you’re gonna love this recipe for Mini Orange & Almond Bundt Cakes with Orange Syrup! Why? Because for very little effort, you’ll be rewarded with the most tender, moist, intensely citrusy (just discovered that’s a word!) baby bundts that ever did exist.
What’s the secret to these delectable little morsels? It’s that they include the WHOLE orange… not just the juice or zest. And, when combined with ground almonds and topped with a thick orange syrup, sliced toasted almonds and a dollop of softly whipped cream, trust me… your taste buds are gonna have one big par-tay!
Thanks to Tina Bester at Crush Magazine for this fantastic recipe. I stuck to the recipe pretty much, other than swap gluten-free flour for standard (you’d never know though).
You might baulk at the idea of making 15 cakes if you’re only feeding half that amount of people… However, at least in my family, the men-folk looked like their throats had been cut when I served them one cake and they all ended up having two. And, I must admit, I had a second… (okay, a third) the next morning for breakfast – yep, they’re even better the next day!. So all in all, making 15 ended up being a good call.
If you haven’t yet tasted a cake made with whole oranges, you’ve SO got to try this recipe! Enjoy!
MINI ORANGE & ALMOND BUNDT CAKES WITH ORANGE SYRUP
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Bundt Cakes:
- 1.5 medium oranges
- 4.4 oz unsalted butter softened
- 5.2 oz caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 4 oz self-raising flour (I used a gluten-free flour blend + 2 tsp baking powder)
- 1.7 oz ground almonds
- Optional: ½ tsp almond essence
For the Orange Syrup:
- 1 cup orange juice
- 4.2 oz caster sugar
To serve:
- Softly whipped cream
- 1.5 oz flaked almonds, toasted
- Optional: Icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
For the Bundt Cakes:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F) and grease and flour 15 mini bundt pans (you can use a 12 hole pan; just fill them more generously).
- Roughly chop the whole oranges (unpeeled), remove the pips and place them in a saucepan. Cover with water and boil them for 15 minutes. Drain the liquid off the oranges (you won’t be using it) and liquidise them in a food processor (you’ll need to scrape down the sides occasionally to ensure you get all the peel).
- Using an electric beater, beat the butter and caster sugar in a medium bowl until creamy (a couple of minutes) and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition.
- Sift the flour and almonds into the mixture and mix with the electric beater. Then add the pureed oranges and almond essence (if using) and beat until just combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the bundt tins (aim for around 3/4 full as the cakes do rise) and bake for 15–20 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean with some moist crumbs attached.
For the Orange Syrup:
- In the meantime, cook the orange syrup. Place the orange juice and caster sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow it to reduce for 10–15 minutes until it forms a syrup.
- Spoon the hot syrup over the hot cakes in the tins. Leave them to stand for a few minutes so that they can absorb the syrup and then carefully take them out of the tins with a knife. Drizzle the remaining syrup over top of the cakes. Allow them to cool on a cooling rack with a baking tray underneath to catch the extra syrup.
To serve:
- Serve warm with a dollop of cream and a scattering of toasted flaked almonds.
