Almond and Orange Cake with Thyme
A tender, nutty loaf cake
On Christmas morning (or anytime really), a slice of this Almond and Orange Cake with Thyme would be greatly appreciated by all. The cake’s soft, moist interior, subtly perfumed by both thyme and orange zest, together with its satisfyingly crunchy, glaze-covered crust had me coming back over and over to steal bites throughout the testing process.
I created this cake recipe for friends of mine at Rhoeco to highlight their stunning new line of culinary herbs. Rhoeco collaborates with small scale farmers around Greece who harvest, dry, sort, and pack these herbs (as well as all of their herbal teas) by hand. This level of care speaks for itself in the flavour of their products: they are fresh, bright, and bold. I’m crazy about them!
I hope you all have a warm, happy holiday season, see you in the new year x
Almond and Orange Cake with Thyme
Yields one 4.5x10” loaf cake
Ingredients:
75g (¾ cup) roasted almonds (or 75g almond flour)
285g (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dried thyme
266 mL (1 cup + 2 tbsp) olive oil
150g (¾ cup) white sugar
104g (½ cup) light brown sugar
Zest from 1 large orange (reserve juice for the glaze)
3 large eggs
175 mL (¾ cup) buttermilk (or 160 mL milk/nut milk + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar whisked together)
Orange Glaze
60 mL (¼ cup) orange juice
125g (1 cup) powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
¼ tsp dried thyme
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 25 cm x 12 cm (10” x 4 ½”) loaf pan with parchment paper.
Grind the roasted almonds in a food processor or blender until they become a flour. Mix the ground almonds, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and thyme together in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, both sugars, and the orange zest to combine. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until homogeneous, then pour in the buttermilk while whisking until emulsified.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, using a spatula to stir until just combined and being careful not to over-mix. Transfer the cake batter into your parchment-lined pan and bake in the oven for ~1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
After the cake has cooled slightly, make the glaze: whisk together the orange juice and powdered sugar until smooth, then add the dried thyme and stir to combine. Pour glaze evenly over top of the cake and serve.
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