Flourless Honey-Almond Cake with Cranberry Orange Frosting

First things first: my husband and I do not celebrate Valentine's Day. We're not really into the cheesy "romanticism" of the holiday, and the day doesn't hold any personal meaning for us - we have our own special days of the year. Personally, I think the holiday also puts a lot of negative pressure on those who don't have a significant other and wish they did. That said, I don't begrudge those who choose to celebrate Valentine's Day in good faith. After all, there's nothing inherently wrong with a day that celebrates love.

With that said, I did not make this cake with Valentine's Day in mind, but the tangy and just-sweet-enough cranberry frosting took on quite a distinct pink color that's fitting for the holiday. It may not be the most dramatic or elegant covering for a cake, but as with love, it's more about the substance than the appearance, and the flavor does not disappoint. It's a perfect cover for this cake that contains no flour - not that you'd notice. The almond flour creates a nice delicate crumb, and honey adds some natural sweetness, with fresh orange zest for some extra flavor. Cranberries and orange are the perfect combination of winter fruits, and they play a starring role here.

This cake is sweet, but not annoyingly so. Like real love, it's sweet enough and has real substance to it that allows you to indulge and leaves you with no regrets. It'll keep you coming back for more. ;)

Ingredients

3 eggs, separated

6 Tbsp clover honey

zest of one unwaxed orange

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 1/2 cup almond flour*

 4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup demerara sugar (or other natural sugar)

1/2 cup halved fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed

juice of one medium orange (about 1/4 cup)

Directions

1) In a medium mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, honey, baking soda, orange zest, and salt. Beat in almond flour until well combined.

2) Beat egg whites (allowed to warm to room temperature) until white and foamy, but not quite holding peaks. Gently fold into batter.

3) Pour batter into a parchment-lined 9x5" loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 min, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

4) Meanwhile, combine orange juice and a small handful of cranberries in a blender; blend until smooth. Add remainder of cranberries and pulse a couple of times until roughly chopped. Beat together cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer, then stir in cranberry-orange mixture.

5) Allow cake to cool on a wire rack for 20 min or so, then frost. Cake is best eaten within a couple of hours, but can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days. Alternatively, cake can be made ahead, wrapped and stored at room temperature, and frosted when ready to serve.

Makes 4 large or 8 small servings

*Almond flour can be made by placing 1 1/4 cup blanched almonds in a food processor, and pulsing until ground finely (be careful to not go too far, or you'll make almond butter!). I sifted the ground almonds through a fine-meshed sieve to make sure I had a fine flour. If you make extra, make sure to store it in an airtight container in the freezer - the oils in the almonds can make it go rancid fairly quickly .