Flourless Whole Orange & Almond Mini Loaf Cakes with Optional Caramelized Orange Topping Recipe

Wash the oranges and place them in a pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a simmer. Place a circle of baking paper on top to keep the oranges submerged and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours. Drain once done.

Cut the simmered oranges into chunks and blitz in a food processor until smooth, creating a puree for the cake batter.

Preheat your oven to 170°C (338°F). Grease and line 10 mini loaf tins (about 200 ml capacity each) with baking paper. For upside down orange loaves, place 1–2 very thin orange slices at the base of each tin.

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, ground almonds, caster sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the whole orange puree and whisk everything together until well combined.

Evenly divide the batter among the prepared loaf tins and smooth the surface of each one.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in the tins before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sprinkle a thick layer of white sugar over the top of the orange slices on the cakes and carefully brûlée with a kitchen blowtorch to caramelize the sugar.

Using an electric or stand mixer, beat softened butter until very pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add sifted icing sugar and beat again until combined and pale, about 5 more minutes. Mix in vanilla extract, then gradually add cream cheese a teaspoon at a time on medium speed, combining just until smooth.

Fill a piping bag fitted with a round tip with the buttercream and pipe swirls on top of the cooled mini cakes. Garnish with candied blood orange slices, fresh orange segments, or chopped pistachios as desired.

Thinly slice one blood orange. In a medium pot, bring sugar and water to a boil, then add orange slices. Boil for 15 minutes or until the peel starts to become translucent. Remove the slices from the syrup and transfer to baking paper to cool completely before using as decoration.