Best Blood Orange Upside Down Cake Recipes

UPSIDE-DOWN BLOOD ORANGE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons (45 grams) butter. Add the brown sugar and lemon juice; stir until sugar melts, about 3 minutes. Scrape mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
• Grate 1/2 teaspoon zest from one of the oranges, then slice off the tops and bottoms of both oranges. Place oranges on a clean, flat surface, and slice away the rind and pith, top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit. Slice each orange crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick wheels; discard any seeds. Arrange orange wheels on top of brown sugar mixture in a single, tight layer.
• In a large bowl, whisk together orange zest, cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together remaining 2 sticks (225 grams) butter with granulated sugar. Beat in eggs, one a time, then beat in sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the dry mixture by hand.
• Scrape batter into pan over oranges. Transfer to oven and bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then run a knife along pan's edges to loosen it; invert onto a platter and cool completely before serving.

BLOOD ORANGE OLIVE OIL UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a round loose-bottomed 9-inch (23-centimeter) cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and water to make a thick paste. Spread this thinly and evenly onto the base of the cake pan and set aside.
• Zest 1 orange and add this to a large bowl with the superfine sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the zest is evenly distributed. Set aside.
• Slice both oranges as thinly as you can with the skin on and arrange the slices on top of the brown sugar base in the cake pan. You can cut some of the slices in half to create a different pattern and to fill in all the gaps.
• Add the yogurt to the bowl with the superfine sugar and whisk briefly to combine. Whisk in the eggs and olive oil. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until smooth. Gently pour the batter on top of the orange slices, being careful not to disturb the oranges underneath.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sponge is firm to the touch and golden brown. Leave the cake in its pan to cool completely before attempting to turn it upside down. Serve with creme fraiche.

BLOOD ORANGE POLENTA UPSIDE DOWN-CAKE WITH WHIPPED CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Combine 6 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons water in 10-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet with 8-inch-diameter bottom and 2 1/2-inch-high sides.Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is golden amber (not dark amber), occasionally brushing down sides of skillet with wet pastry brush and swirling skillet, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and whisk 2 tablespoons butter into caramel. Set aside.
• Cut off both rounded ends of each orange so that ends are even and flat. Using sharp knife, cut oranges into 1/16- to 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Remove and discard any seeds. Arrange orange slices, overlapping slightly, in concentric circles atop caramel in bottom of skillet.
• Whisk flour, polenta, baking powder, and coarse kosher salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat 3/4 cup sugar, remaining 6 tablespoons room-temperature butter, and vanilla in another medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating batter just until incorporated.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Drop batter by large spoonfuls atop orange slices in skillet, then spread evenly.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in skillet 10 minutes. Run small knife around cake to loosen. Place platter atop skillet. Using oven mitts, hold platter and skillet firmly together and invert, allowing cake to settle onto platter. Rearrange any orange slices that may have become dislodged. Cool cake completely at room temperature.
• For whipped crème fraîche:
• Using electric mixer, beat chilled crème fraîche and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until mixture thickens.
• Cut cake into wedges and serve with dollop of whipped crème fraîche.
• Available at most supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

UPSIDE-DOWN BLOOD ORANGE-POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat pan with nonstick spray and place on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Cook brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 2 Tbsp. water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth. Bring to a boil and cook, without stirring, 2 minutes (it should be slightly thickened). Pour caramel into prepared pan and let rest until set, about 5 minutes.
• Arrange orange slices in concentric circles in a single layer over caramel. (Start with larger slices around the outside, then use smaller ones as you work toward the center. Cut up leftover citrus to fill in the gaps.)
• Whisk flour, polenta, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Place granulated sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; scrape in vanilla seeds and save pod for another use. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions; beat until mixture is very fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Reduce mixer speed to low. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients; mix just until batter is smooth. Scrape batter into prepared pan (be careful not to disturb orange slices) and smooth surface with an offset spatula.
• Bake cake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-65 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cake to loosen, then unmold. Invert cake onto rack and carefully remove bottom of pan. Let cool completely.
• Finely grate lemon omani and cardamom pods over cake and whipped cream, if desired. Serve cake with whipped cream alongside.

UPSIDE-DOWN BLOOD ORANGE AND ROSEMARY OLIVE OIL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine the brown sugar, butter, rosemary and the finely grated zest of 1 blood orange (about 1 teaspoon) in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted, the sugar has dissolved and the mixture comes to a full boil, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread evenly (it's OK if the caramel looks grainy).
• Finely grate the zest of 1 blood orange into a large bowl and set aside. Cut the ends off 3 of the blood oranges, then remove the skin in strips working to expose the flesh all the way around the fruit. Slice the oranges into 1/8-inch-thick rounds and remove any seeds. Arrange the slices over the brown sugar in the pan, overlapping them slightly as needed so that no sugar can be seen. Set aside.
• Add 1 cup of the granulated sugar and the olive oil to the bowl with the orange zest and whisk to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until lightened, about 4 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk and continue whisking until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is incorporated.
• Carefully pour the batter over the orange slices in the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, about 30 minutes. Run a small knife or offset spatula around the edge of the cake to loosen. Invert a large plate or serving platter on top of the pan and flip to unmold. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment. Juice half of the remaining orange (save the other half for another use). Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons of the blood orange juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to a small saucepan and stir with a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns rust colored around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and fold in the pistachios until well coated and shiny. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet, breaking up any large clumps with a wooden spoon and allow to dry completely, about 15 minutes.
• Chop or crush the candied pistachios with a heavy glass to break up any larger pieces. Sprinkle the pistachios around the rim of the cake before serving.

BLOOD ORANGE CARDAMOM UPSIDE DOWN CAKE RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375. In a 10-inch cast iron skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and cardamom and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat. Working from the outside in, arrange the orange slices in one even layer on top of the caramelized sugar. Set aside while you prepare the cake batter. In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. In large bowl use a hand mixer on medium high to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes or so. Add the eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Add the buttermilk, orange zest, and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, stirring until everything is combined and there are no dry spots. Pour the cake batter over the fruit in the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. When it is done, leave it in the skillet to cool a bit, about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the skillet to loosen any stuck places. Pace a platter over the skillet and invert. The cake should fall out of the skillet and onto the platter easily, but allow it to sit for at least five minutes to allow gravity to release any stuck spots. Gently lift off the skillet. Whip together heavy cream, sugar and cardamom on high until fluffy. Serve with whipped cream.

BLOOD ORANGE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• You can bake this cake either in a cast-iron skillet or in a 9" x 3" round cake pan. In a 350°F preheated oven, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter and the brown sugar in a 9" heavy round cake pan (or cast iron skillet). This should take 5 minutes. Spread the butter sugar mixture with a silicone spatula to cover the bottom of the tin. (I sprayed the side of the pan with Baker's Joy non-stick spray as insurance that the cake wouldn't stick.) Lay the thinly sliced oranges on top of this mixture in the pan. Overlap them, because they do shrink after baking. (2-3 oranges should be enough.) Set the cake pan aside while making the batter. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cornmeal and salt) in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the sugar with butter, vanilla, zest and eggs. Add the juice and oil (and pure orange oil, if using) last and mix together. Add the wet to the dry and mix to form a nice batter. Pour the batter onto the pan over the orange slices in the butter/sugar mixture. Use an off-set spatula to evenly spread the batter. Bake for 45 minutes. Let the cake rest for only 5 minutes in the pan (you may need to run a knife around the edges). Invert onto a cooling rack and tap lightly to release. (My cake released beautifully, but some cake stuck where I had not overlapped enough orange slices.) Allow to cool (though I sliced into mine while just barely warm). This cake is tender and flavorful served warm or at room temperature.

BLOOD ORANGE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325ºF.
• Spread 1/4 cup butter onto bottom of foil-lined 13x9-inch pan. Combine dry gelatin mix and 3/4 cup sugar in medium bowl. Add orange slices, in batches; toss to evenly coat oranges with gelatin mixture. Arrange on bottom of prepared pan, overlapping if necessary to form even layer.
• Beat cream cheese, vanilla, remaining butter and remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour; pour over oranges. Place filled pan on baking sheet.
• Bake 1-1/4 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 min. Invert cake onto platter; remove pan and foil. Cool cake completely.