Recipe Review

This Unique Upside-Down Cake May Be the Answer to Your Leftover Citrus Problem

Carlos Matias
Carlos Matias
Carlos Matias lives in the Bronx, NY. The only thing he enjoys more than food and writing is weaving the two together. And empanadas. He recently released his debut picture book, Emergency Quarters.
published Apr 1, 2022
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I’ve always loved pineapple upside-down cake — especially after I found Martha Stewart’s recipe for baking the dessert in individual servings. Although I truly adore pineapple upside-down cake, I rarely make the tangy treat because I never have pineapples around my kitchen. I do, however, always have an overflow of oranges at all times. Luckily for me, @bromabakery shared a recipe for an orange upside-down cake (which I never even knew was a thing, but I’m so glad I do now).

To start, you’ll line a cake pan with parchment paper — making sure the paper goes up the sides of the pan — and spray with nonstick spray. Next, microwave sugar and water until the sugar dissolves, and pour half of the sugar water into the pan. Place a few orange slices on top and pour the remaining sugar water over the oranges. Sarah advises slicing the oranges with the skin still on and using a paring knife to separate the skin (this helps the citrus not break apart when you slice it).

In a bowl, beat sugar, orange zest, and eggs together until pale yellow, and slowly pour in olive oil to prevent the batter from splitting. Add in vanilla extract and mix well.

Next, add in all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt and, without over-mixing, stir until combined. Pour the batter over the oranges and bake in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until the cake is a light golden-brown. Allow the cake to cool before flipping it upside down and serving.

If after this delicious cake is made you still have a few oranges left, you can use them to make this citrus-chile marinade that goes great with tacos or use the zest to make this a chili crisp.