Cranberry, Pecan & Orange Loaf Cake Recipe

Gluten free cranberry and orange cake from the side

This gluten free cake makes a lovely alternative to hot cross buns on Good Friday.

We’ve made ours a little bit different by using cranberries and pecans, but you could keep it traditional with 125 g/4½ oz sultanas and 50 g/1¾ oz mixed peel. Add a teaspoon of mixed spice in combination with the cinnamon if doing so – it will taste gorgeous.

Suitable for: gluten free

For the cake

Cranberry and orange loaf cake with cross piped in icing on top

140g Brown sugar

70g Sorghum flour

70g Ground Almonds

25g Ground golden flaxseed

1.5 tsp Gluten free Baking powder

0.2 tsp Vanilla powder

2 eggs

175 g/6 oz butter, melted

135 g/5 oz dried cranberries

40 g/1½ oz pecans, roughly chopped

Zest of one orange

Juice of half an orange

1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the icing

Juice of half an orange

Icing sugar – check to make sure it’s gluten free

Preheat your oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3 and grease and line a 1 lb loaf tin.

Sliced gluten free cranberry and orange cake on pink tablecloth

Add the brown sugar, sorghum flour, ground almonds, golden flaxseed, gluten free Baking powder, vanilla powder and the cinnamon to a mixing bowl and add the eggs and melted butter. Mix well with an electric whisk, until everything is well combined and you have a smooth batter. Add the dried cranberries, pecans, orange zest and orange juice, folding in gently.

Transfer the cake mix to the prepared tin and smooth with a palette knife. Pop into the oven and bake for 35 – 45 minutes, covering with foil partway through if the top is browning too quickly. The cake is done when it’s nice and golden and springs back when pressed gently with one finger.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack and allowing to cool completely.

Make up the glacé icing by adding the orange juice to the sugar – do this very gradually, as you want the icing to be quite thick (it needs to hold its shape when piped). Spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle and pipe a cross over the top of the cooled cake.

Gluten free cranberry and orange loaf cake with cake mix tube in background