Orange Upside Down Cake
in the kitchen: orange upside down cake.
This light and delicious orange cake pops right out of the pan fully decorated and is a treat to both the eyes and your palate.
OVEN CRANKED TO 350°F. APRON ON. LET’S BAKE!
This upcoming week marks a milestone in my life. Yes, I’m turning 25 and yes I may potentially be having a quarter-life crisis. But, in this moment none of that matters because this week is all about indulging, spending time with loved ones and most importantly eating lots and lots of cake! *tosses diet out the window*
Upside down cakes hold a very special place in my heart. I have fond memories of baking upside down cakes with both my mom and sister while growing up. My sisters signature pineapple upside down cake is still a family favourite and for any occasion big or small, by default we would always bake this cake and get creative with toppings. Talking to my family over the weekend got me reminiscing over those times and made me realize how I haven’t baked an upside down cake in ages therefore with my birthday coming up, I couldn’t think of a better reason to bake this childhood favourite!
Citrus anything, especially when it comes to baking is my weakness. I love the flavour combination of sweet with a hint of tartness and therefore to balance the two flavours, I opted for two different types of oranges for this upside down cake - Navel and blood oranges both from Sunkist. Their navel oranges are refreshingly sweet and juicy with a pleasant floral aroma and most importantly, they are seedless whereas their blood oranges offer a zingy, rich orange taste with a hint of fresh raspberry and their bright red flesh really stands out. When married together, the flavours work so beautifully together. In addition, when layered at the bottom of the pan, the colour contrast between the two oranges when flipped is absolutely stunning.
Learn more about Sunkist oranges and the different varieties of oranges they carry here.
THE PROCESS.
ingredients.
1 Sunkist blood orange
1 Sunkist navel orange
2 cups water
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
For the Cake:
3 large eggs
4 tsp. grated orange zest
1 cup strained fresh orange juice
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup sour cream
the payoff.
For the Oranges:
Cut both Sunkist blood and Navel oranges into slices.
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat add 1 cup of water and ¾ cup sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved in pan. Layer in the Sunkist blood orange slices. Bring down to a simmer and cook for about 10-12 minutes.
Repeat this process for the Sunkist Navel orange slices.
For the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously butter a 9-inch cake pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cream together the butter, sour cream, and orange zest.
Slowly add the sugar, mixing until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between additions and scraping down the sides.
Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the orange juice to the creamed mixture, beating well on low speed after each addition.
Layer both Sunkist orange slices at the bottom of the pan.
Pour batter about half way up in the pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 35-40 mins.
Cool the cake layer in the pans for 10 min. Loosen the layers by running a knife between the cake and the edge of the pan.
Invert onto a rack to cool.
