Upside Down Blood Orange and Almond Cake

There’s orange cake and then there’s Upside Down Blood Orange and Almond Cake. The reveal, showcases caramelised fruit with a moist cake underneath that is infused with intense citrus flavour. Today, I’m sharing one of my all time favourite citrus cake-Upside Down Blood Orange and Almond Cake.

It looks nothing but spectacular and so easy to make.Even better, the cake comes out of the oven pretty, so there’s no need for icing or any embellishments-maybe just a sprinkle of chopped pistachios to make it extra special.

Why you’ll love this cake:

• The almond meal makes this cake nutty and moist. It is also versatile as you can substitute Blood Orange with Valencia Oranges or any orange that you have. This can also be made gluten free by substituting self raising flour with Almond Meal and adding 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
  
• The orange slices on top create a sweet sticky glaze and the extra orange pulp fold in throughout the batter enhances the orange flavour.
• This cake is unbelievably simple to make and yet it looks and taste sensational for any occasion.

What you need to make Blood Orange and Almond Cake:

• Blood Oranges – The season for this citrus is very short here in Australia (August -October). Just as well, the variety of oranges you can get year round are great substitute.
  
• Fridge and Pantry- Caster Sugar, Butter,Eggs, Almond Meal/Flour, Self Raising Flour, Cardamom and Vanilla for extra flavour and Greek Yoghurt to keep it extra moist. If you want the cake to be completely gluten free, substitute the self raising flour with almond meal and add 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Easy does it…

• Make the orange topping first as this needs to cool down before using. Slice the oranges about 1/2 cm thin, then cook them in sugar syrup until rinds are soft. Set aside to cool.
• Line the bottom and sides of a 23cm round cake pan with baking paper. Choose similar sized orange slices and arrange on the bottom and sides of the pan. Chop the leftover slices finely. Set aside. Also, don’t forget to reserve the sugar syrup that the oranges were cooked in.
• Make the cake batter by creaming the butter and sugar with vanilla and cardamom until light and fluffy. Add eggs, yoghurt then add the flour and almond meal and extra chopped orange pulp and pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for about an hour until the top is firm. Remove cake from the oven and pour the reserved sugar syrup all over the top of the cake. Let cool in the tin completely.
• Loosen the cake from the baking tin by running a knife along the tin. Cover the baking pan with serving platter and flip the whole thing over, so the bottom of the pan is now on the top with the serving platter underneath the cake. Remove the baking pan and carefully peel the baking paper from the cake, revealing the beautiful caramelised orange top.
• Easy peasy.

And while you’re here, say hello, via the comments section below. I would love to hear from you. Love citrus cakes like I do? Here’s another orange cake for you to try The Perfect Orange Syrup Cake.

Upside Down Blood Orange and Almond Cake

Recipe by Lola AdeleCourse: DessertCuisine: GlobalDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Moist and Tangy Blood Orange and Almond Cake

Ingredients

• For the Orange Topping

• 2 Blood Oranges

• 2/3 cup Caster Sugar

• For the Cake Batter

• 125g Butter room temperature

• 1 cup Caster Sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground Cardamom, optional

• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

• 3 Eggs,beaten

• 3/4 cup Self Raising Flour

• 1 cup Almond Meal

• 1/2 Greek Yoghurt

Directions

• Orange Topping
• Use a sharp knife or mandolin to slice the oranges cross ways about 1/2 cm thin.
• Place caster sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan and stir until sugar dissolves. Carefully add the orange slices and cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the Orange rind turns soft.
• Remove from heat and leave to cool the orange slices in the syrup.
• Cake
• Preheat oven to 160°C fan forced. Line the base and sides of a 20 or 23cm pan with baking paper. For this cake, I mainly use a 23cm pan which results in a thinner cake but with more orange topping.
• Arrange orange slices on the base and sides of the lined pan in a pretty pattern. If there’s any leftover oranges, chop them up finely and reserve to add later to the batter. Set aside the syrup that the oranges were cooked in.
• Place softened butter, cardamom, vanilla and caster sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix on medium until pale and fluffy. Add eggs on at a time and beat after each addition. Add yogurt and finely chopped reserved oranges and mix until just combined. Then add the almond meal and self raising flour and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
• Carefully spoon the batter into the baking pan making sure not to dislodge the orange slices in the pan. Smooth the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, then turn the pan halfway and bake for another 10 minutes or until done. Remove cake from the oven, and pour the reserved syrup on top of the cake. Leave to cool in the tin completely.
• To serve, run a sharp knife around the cake between the sides of the baking pan and baking paper. Un mould the cake to a serving platter, so that the bottom now becomes the top. Remove the baking paper liner. Garnish with chopped pistachios if desired .

Notes

• Cake will keep for 3 days in room temperature or a week covered in the fridge.