Blood Orange Upside-down Cake
Ingredients
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- 3 medium blood oranges
- 1/2 cups light brown sugar – packed
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cups unsalted butter – softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
- whipped cream – for serving
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan (2-inch sides) with a parchment circle.
2. Prepare the blood oranges: Finely zest 1 fruit to yield about 1 tbsp; cut away peel and white pith from all the oranges, then slice into 0.25-inch rounds, removing seeds. From the trimmings and extra pieces, squeeze 0.25 cup juice; set the zest, 10–12 neat rounds, and the juice aside.
3. Make the caramel base: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter (4 tbsp), then stir in the light brown sugar until glossy and bubbling, 1–2 minutes. Immediately pour into the prepared pan and tilt to coat the bottom. Arrange the reserved orange rounds snugly over the caramel.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt.
5. In a large bowl, beat the unsalted butter (0.5 cup, softened) with the granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract and the reserved zest.
6. Add half of the dry ingredients, then mix in the Greek yogurt and 0.25 cup reserved blood orange juice, then add the remaining dry ingredients; mix just until smooth.
7. Spoon the batter over the fruit in the pan and gently smooth the top.
8. Bake until golden and a tester inserted in the cake (avoiding the fruit) comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, 35–45 minutes.
9. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, invert onto a serving plate, and peel off the parchment. Spoon any pooled syrup back over the cake.
10. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature. Add whipped cream (for serving) if desired.
Blood Orange Upside-down Cake turns winter citrus into a glossy, jewel-toned topping over a tender, buttery crumb. The caramel base melts into the fruit, creating a balance of toffee richness, bright acidity, and the faint, pleasant bitterness blood oranges are known for. Each slice offers silky, candied citrus on top and a moist vanilla-scented cake beneath, making it as striking to look at as it is satisfying to eat.
Upside-down cakes trace back to skillet-baked fruit cakes cooked over open fires, later popularized in America with the early-20th-century rise of pineapple versions. This blood orange rendition marries that classic American technique with Mediterranean winter fruit, a natural fit given the orange’s vivid color and nuanced flavor. Over time, bakers have adapted the format to seasonal citrus, yielding a modern dessert that honors the heritage of upside-down cakes while celebrating peak-season blood oranges.