This Orange Upside Down Cake is topped with jammy caramelized oranges and infused with delicious cardamom spice.
This is my favorite type of cake. The best type of cake.
The top is sticky and jammy. The caramel oranges glisten in their shimmery golden pool. Almost toffee like on the edges, it's all I can do to resist simply pick away at the topping.
The cake underneath itself is pillowy soft, and more than just a canvas for the caramelised fruit, as the scent of cardamom wafts into the air as you cut into it.
It's not the type of upside down cake I remember baking at school.
It's more grown up, less sickly sweet, but yet it retains all the messy joy that makes upside down cakes a favorite for all ages.
If it's been an age since you baked an upside down cake, it's time for a trip down nostalgia lane, in the best, most wonderful and slightly more sophisticated way with this Cardamom and Orange Upside-down Cake.
Tips & Variations
Flour vs Almond Meal
I used a mix of all-purpose flour and almond meal in this cake, which give sit a nice texture. But I've also made it with just 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, omiting the almond meal, and it still worked out very well.
You can also use a gluten-free baking flour to make this cake gluten free.
Yogurt
The yogurt is essential, as it adds quite a bit of moistire to the dish. I used a plain yogurt, but you can experiment with flavors like vanilla to add a little something extra.
Don't skip the parchment paper!
Seriously. Don't skip the parchment paper (called baking paper in some places). Without it, this cake is going to stick all over your pans.
More Recipes
If you love this orange upside down cake, be sure to check out these other great recipes:
- Blood Orange Madeleines with Pistachio and Cardamom
- Pear, Chocolate & Cardamom Cake
- Vanilla & Orange Cake
- Honey and Rosemary Upside Down Fig Cake
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- CARAMEL TOPPING:
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 2 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoon butter
- pinch of salt
- 2 oranges, skin, pith and any seeds removed, sliced
- CAKE:
- 13 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups plain flour, all purpose
- 3 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarb soda, baking
- ½ cup almond meal, ground almonds
- 1 cup yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 celsius (350 Fahrenheit) and grease a 23cm (9 inch) cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
- Begin by making the caramel for the topping. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir well. Place over a medium high heat and bring to a boil. Let the sugar bubble away until it turns a pale golden and remove from the heat and add the butter. Stir well until all the butter is incorporated and pour into the base of the prepared cake tin. Top with orange slices, making sure to fill in any gaps with pieces of orange trimmed to size.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, around 10 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each addition, until well combined. Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom and ground almonds in a bowl and stir to combine. Switch the mixer to it's slowest speed and add half the flour mixture along with half the yoghurt. When combined add the remaining flour mixture and yoghurt and beat until the mixture just comes together.
- Carefully spread the cake mixture over the top of the oranges and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour, then loosely cover with foil, and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool for 20 minutes before removing the cake from the tin.
Rosa says
Beautiful and very tempting! This is a wonderful recipe.Cheers,Rosa
thelittleloaf says
I love upside down cake! My Mum makes a version with mangos and I love making it with dulce de leche and banana too. Orange sounds wonderfully sophisticated and right up my street!
Jennifer says
Mmm dulce de leche and bananas sounds divine!
Lily (A Rhubarb Rhapsody) says
It's a shame that the good old upside down cake isn't particularly popular any more. They're so easy to make and they can look beautiful, just like this one!
Jennifer says
It is a shame that upside down cakes aren't more popular. They really are so good. 🙂
Padaek says
It looks beautiful and delicious. The orange base looks so vibrant and enticing. Yum!
Sasha says
This cake is so gorgeous! Great job 🙂
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Beautiful cake, I love the mix of oranges and cardamom!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Delicious use of cardamom here. Love upside down cakes. This looks divine, Jen 🙂
Jennifer says
Thanks Kiran 😀
Jason says
Jennifer - your recipe took second place at the San Diego Fair for the cakes with fruit category - thanks for sharing it!
Jennifer says
Oh wow, that is so exciting!!! Thank you for letting me know. Congratulations on your prize! I hope you got to eat some too 😀
Terri Ross says
Hi Jennifer, I made this for a friend a few weeks ago, it was delicious and a real hit with everyone. I'm wondering if you have ever made it using gluten free flour with the same success? Thanks for sharing. Terri
Nicole @ Delicious Everyday says
Hi Terri, I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake! It is one of my favourites. I just adore upside down cakes.I'm sorry to say that I haven't tried the cake with gluten free flour. IF you do decide to give it a go I'd love to hear how it turns out.Best of luckJennifer 😀
Patricia S says
This cake should be illegal. It is that good. I added some tweaks to it to my personal taste. I substituted the yogurt for sour cream 1:1. I also used half-and-half instead of water for the caramel. I use three oranges instead of two, I added 1/2 a TSP of nutmeg, and 1 TSP of cinnamon, and added 1/4 cup regular flour and I managed to get two loaves out of this instead of a cake (I prefer loaves). I’m definitely going to make this again. Thank you very much for sharing. RIP to my waistline.