German Marmalade Cake – Easy, Elegant & Not Too Sweet
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
A beautiful flourless almond cake layered with tangy orange marmalade and whipped cream. Light, elegant, and naturally gluten-free — this cake is surprisingly easy to make and even better the next day. Inspired by a recipe from the German cookbook Glutenfrei Kochen und Backen.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 8 eggs room temperature
- 200 g caster sugar
- Pinch salt
- 250 g almond meal
- 50 g cornflour or cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange 1 teaspoon
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon
Filling & Topping:
- 800 ml thickened cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar optional
- 1 tsp finely grated orange zest
- orange marmalade
- 2 fresh oranges sliced
- 100 g almond meal for toasting and decorating the sides
Instructions
- Preheat oven:
- Preheat to 170°C (fan) / 190°C (no fan)
- → That’s 340°F (fan) / 375°F (no fan)
- Prepare batter:
- In a bowl, beat 8 eggs until fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix 200g sugar with a pinch of salt. Gradually add the sugar to the eggs, a spoonful at a time, beating for 3–5 minutes until thick and voluminous.
- Combine dry ingredients:
- Mix together almond meal, cornflour, baking powder, and citrus zests. Fold into the egg mixture a quarter at a time, being gentle to maintain airiness. I like using a spatula for this.
- Bake:
- Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 35–40 minutes. After 20 minutes, cover loosely with foil if browning too quickly. Cake is ready when a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool and prepare filling:
- Remove cake from tin and peel off baking paper. Allow to cool completely — cake may sink slightly in the centre, that's normal.
- Toast almond meal for sides:
- In a dry pan, toast 100g almond meal over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until golden. Let cool.
- Whip the cream:
- Whip cream until thick, then add icing sugar and orange zest. Whip again until firm but spreadable.
- Slice and fill:
- Slice cake into two even layers. Spread marmalade and about ¼ of the cream on the bottom layer. Add second layer, repeat with marmalade and another ¼ of the cream. Use remaining cream to cover top and sides.
- Decorate:
- Press toasted almond meal around the sides. Top with overlapping slices of orange. Chill for 2 hours before serving.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Video
Notes
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
- This cake will last as long as the use by date on your cream and it tastes even better a few days after being made.
- Keep refrigerated :