After the rich and heavy food and desserts consumed during Christmastime, the New Year and the holiday season in general, I am generally left craving something simple — to bake and to eat. The almond-orange cake recipe I want to share today is the perfect idea for days like this.

I discovered this recipe relatively recently, when a friend, who does not like the usual cake flavours, had her birthday. I asked her what cake she wanted for her small, socially distanced celebration and she said ‘almond.’ Now I have made almond sponges as part of more elaborate cakes, but never simply an almond cake. There is, of course, the French financier, a small usually rectangular shaped cake made with browned butter and almonds, but that seemed to me to be a little too simple for a birthday celebration.

And then I chanced on this recipe, an almond cake that uses no butter at all and is topped with an orange glaze! An almond cake with orange glaze in the winter? I think I had a hallelujah moment, because it is a match made in heaven. The most time-consuming part of this recipe is blanching, toasting and flaking the almonds that go on the top. If you can find pre-flaked almonds, use them. I had to be content with making them myself. However, the cake batter itself is very simple to make and uses the ‘one-bowl’ method. It is the perfect no-fuss, no-stress easy dessert that you need after making more complicated cakes and bakes.