This one’s been waiting in the wings for a bit. This year, to celebrate my dad’s birthday, I threw a mini-party in his honor and made this orange upside down almond cake.
I’ve made a few tribute cakes for him over the years, cakes that I made that I thought that he’d most enjoy: cinnamon toast crunch cake, Swedish almond cake, mandarin ginger cake, cardamom coffee cake, brown sugar pound cake. All to enjoy with a cup of tea, made just how he liked it.
He did have quite the sweet tooth, and is probably the reason why I still have dessert every single night. Balance, yo.
Though he’s been gone quite a while (13 years- holy moly), it’s still a day that gives me pause and a smile.
As I tend to do every once in a while, I use the occasion to not only clean out my pantry, but to also dig through my cookbooks for inspo. This cake was inspired by a sticky orange chili and vodka cake from Around the World in 80 Dishes, a book that I don’t go to often, but when I do, it doesn’t disappoint- and this cake was no exception.
What is an upside down cake?
Like the name suggests, this is a cake that is cooked upside down! The cake is assembled backwards, with a sticky caramel layer at the bottom of the pan, followed by a fruit (typically) and then the cake batter. Shortly after the cake comes out of the oven (I’m talking minutes), you give the whole thing a flip and the result is a beautiful cake that doesn’t need any additional decoration. You may be familiar with my favorite peach upside down cake– a summer classic of which I can never get enough.
What ingredients do I need to make an orange upside down almond cake?
- oranges. I used sumo oranges because that’s what drew me in at the grocery, but choose your favorite sweet variety- a blood orange would be beautiful
- water + caster sugar to make a quick sticky syrup, a lighter choice than pairs better with the delicate oranges than a brown sugar caramel
- orange juice, though if you’re feeling fancy you can use a dessert wine here
- self-rising flour. If you don’t have any, make your own!
- almond meal. I used store bought from Trader Joe’s but you can make your own by grinding up almonds in a blender or food processor.
- vodka + granulated sugar, because we’re making a little glaze to go on the whole thing
Wait, what is caster sugar?
Caster sugar (sometimes spelled castor sugar) is finely ground granulated sugar. It is not as fine as confectioners’ sugar, as it does have a little grit to it, and is not powder-y. It’s often found in UK recipes. If you’re looking for it in the US, it may be called superfine sugar. It dissolves more easily than granulated sugar and is great for certain cakes, cookies and meringues. You can actually make your own caster sugar – just blitz it in the food processor until fine, about 2 minutes.
Do I use the orange peels?
You certainly can, but I didn’t want to run the risk of them feeling tough compared to the rest of the cake. So I took mine off. First, I sliced the oranges thinly (slicing the oranges horizontally to get the pretty wheel pattern to show) and then used a paring knife to remove the peel.
I served my cake with whipped cream because I strongly believe that everything should be served with whipped cream. Kidding, but for a cake like this with fruit, it just seemed like the right thing to do. Optional, of course.
Birthday or not, this is a great every occasion cake, especially in the winter or spring when citrus is in season and we need any excuse to brighten up our days.
Orange Upside Down Almond Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 3 oranges any sweet orange
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 13 ½ TB caster sugar (170g or 3/4 cup + 1 1/2 TB)
- 3 large eggs separated
- 9 ½ TB self-rising flour (85g or 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 TB)
- 1 cup almond meal (85g)
- 3 ounces orange juice
- 2 TB granulated sugar
- 3 TB vodka
- Whipped cream to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- In a microwave safe bowl, put 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water in the microwave about 90 seconds until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Thinly slice the oranges with the peel on, about 1/4" thick. Use a sharp knife and cut off the peel from the slices (the outer ring) being careful to not rip the oranges so that you're unable to move them.
- Line a 9" cake pan with parchment, spraying the sides generously with oil. Pour 3/4 of the syrup into the bottom of the pan and arrange the orange slices as you like - I did mine in a circular pattern, using any leftover orange bits to cover the bottom completely.
- Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and caster sugar on high until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well in between each addition.
- Reduce the speed of your mixer. Add half of the flour and half of the almond meal and the orange juice. Beat until combined and then add the remainder of the flour and almond meal. Mix until all is combined, careful not to over mix.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, careful not to deflate the eggs but also ensuring they are mixed in well.
- Pour the batter over the oranges, careful not to move the oranges too much. Spread evenly with a spatula.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Let sit 5 minutes before inverting the cake on a serving plate.
- While the cake is still warm, make the vodka syrup by placing the sugar and vodka on the stove. Bring to a boil and let simmer 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
- Brush the vodka syrup over the top of the cake until all of it is used up.
- Cool the cake and serve with whipped cream, as you wish.
Notes
