Gluten-Free Mandarin Orange Cake with Ojai Pixies
This sunny gluten-free olive oil cake is my little love letter to California citrus season. It’s tender from almond flour, rich and fragrant with good California olive oil, and bright with the sweet-tart magic of Ojai Pixie tangerines.
If you’ve never had an Ojai Pixie, they’re tiny but mighty—sweet, seedless, easy to peel, and bursting with that floral tangerine flavor that tastes like actual sunshine. They’re usually around for a short spring window, which makes baking with them feel a little bit like catching a golden hour that you can eat.
Here, Pixie zest perfumes the cake, Pixie juice gets whisked into a simple glaze, and charred Pixie segments are piled on top for a juicy, caramelized finish. The olive oil gives the crumb a beautiful softness and just enough grassy, peppery depth to keep the cake from feeling too sweet.
No Pixies? No panic. This cake is still lovely with mandarins, clementines, satsumas, tangerines, or even oranges. Use what looks best at the market, and let the citrus do its bright little thing.
Equipment
- Medium skillet
- Whisk
- Microplane
Ingredients
- For the Cake
- 1¼ cups almond flour about 120g
- ¾ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with xanthan gum about 90g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 Pixie tangerines
- ½ cup California extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup Real California buttermilk
For the Pixie Tangerine Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh Pixie tangerine juice
- ½ teaspoon Pixie tangerine zest
- Pinch kosher salt
For the Charred Pixie Topping
- 6-8 g Pixie tangerines peeled and separated into segments (about 500 g)
- 1 tablespoon California extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey or granulated sugar optional
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 small sprig rosemary or thyme optional
- Flaky salt for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk almond flour, gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, rub sugar and Pixie zest together with your fingers until fragrant.
- Whisk in olive oil. Add eggs one at a time, then whisk in vanilla.
- Stir in half the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk, then remaining dry ingredients. Mix just until smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 32–38 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Whisk powdered sugar, Pixie juice, Pixie zest, and salt to make a thick glaze.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add Pixie segments in a single layer and cook until lightly charred, 1–2 minutes per side. Add honey or sugar, salt, and optional herbs. Cool slightly.
- Glaze the cooled cake. Top with charred Pixies and flaky salt.
Notes
Use the best California olive oil you have. Since olive oil is one of the main flavors in this cake, choose one you actually like the taste of—fruity, grassy, buttery, or a little peppery all work beautifully with citrus.
Ojai Pixie tangerines are my first choice when they’re in season. They’re sweet, seedless, and so easy to peel, which makes them perfect for both the glaze and the charred citrus topping.
When Pixies aren’t available, swap in mandarins, clementines, satsumas, tangerines, or small sweet oranges. If your citrus is especially tart, add an extra spoonful of honey or sugar to the skillet when charring the segments.
Don’t skip rubbing the zest into the sugar. It’s a tiny step, but it releases all those fragrant citrus oils and makes the whole cake taste brighter.
For the prettiest finish, glaze the cooled cake first, let it set for 5–10 minutes, then spoon the charred citrus over the top right before serving.
This cake is best served the day it’s made, when the citrus topping is glossy and fresh, but leftovers are still lovely. Store them covered in the refrigerator and let slices come to room temperature before serving.
Ojai Pixie tangerines are my first choice when they’re in season. They’re sweet, seedless, and so easy to peel, which makes them perfect for both the glaze and the charred citrus topping.
When Pixies aren’t available, swap in mandarins, clementines, satsumas, tangerines, or small sweet oranges. If your citrus is especially tart, add an extra spoonful of honey or sugar to the skillet when charring the segments.
Don’t skip rubbing the zest into the sugar. It’s a tiny step, but it releases all those fragrant citrus oils and makes the whole cake taste brighter.
For the prettiest finish, glaze the cooled cake first, let it set for 5–10 minutes, then spoon the charred citrus over the top right before serving.
This cake is best served the day it’s made, when the citrus topping is glossy and fresh, but leftovers are still lovely. Store them covered in the refrigerator and let slices come to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 7gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.004gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 307mgPotassium: 55mgFiber: 3gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 111IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 1mg
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