Orange and Olive Oil Upside Down Cake

Jump to Recipe

A spin-off from my original Blood Orange Upside down cake with a slight flavour variation

My staple Blood Orange upside down cake is a firm favourite to bake in the winter, when citrus season is in full swing. I had an excess of navel oranges lying around the house over the past few days and chose to bake a navel orange version of the same cake.

For a bit of variation, because I like experimenting with flavours, I added some good quality extra-virgin olive oil and a bit of cardamom. The fruitiness of the olive oil pairs well with the citrussy notes in the cake. To test the shelf life and texure, I added just a bit of ground almonds and I really loved the results. Over a few days sitting on the counter, the cake settled into a dense, but incredibly soft and moist crumb.

The star of the show is definitely the orange slices on the top, though. Baking these in the oven soften the peel and the sugar coating layered, before layering the slices, creates a syrupy, marmalade taste and texture. Whilst the cake does not necessarily need it, I find that brushing on a final marmalade glaze really enhances the gloss factors, which makes for Instagram-worthy photos and an enhanced orange flavour.

If you make this recipe, please share it with me by tagging me on Instagram @adventureswithsugar or on Facebook at Adventures with Sugar.

FOR THE SYRUP AND TOPPING

45g butter, melted
45ml orange juice
100g caster sugar
4 medium size navel oranges

METHOD

Grease and line the bottom and sides of a 23cm round spring-form tin with baking paper. Set aside. For extra safety, wrap the outside in foil in case the syrup leaks out the tin. Then place the tin on a larger cake pan.
Brush the melted butter on the sides and base of the cake pan.
Mix together the juice and caster sugar and spread over the bottom of the pan.
Thinly slice your oranges into rounds. I find this easiest to do with a sharp serrated knife. Slice off the skin of the oranges to remove the bitterness, if you prefer. I do not mind the bitterness and it enhances the marmalade-feel.
To arrange the oranges, I find it easiest to arrange the slices as you want the final product to look, then flip over so that the reverse pattern is displayed in the tin. That way when you up-turn the final product, the arrangement will be the correct way around.
Arrange your oranges on the base of your tin. Make sure the base is fully covered with the oranges. If not, the sponge will peak through the orange topping and not look as pretty.

FOR THE CAKE

120g butter, cubed at room temperature
120ml extra virgin olive oil
275g sugar
2 Tbs orange rind
3 large eggs
270g cake flour
40g ground almonds
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
125ml orange juice, freshly squeezed
120g full fat yogurt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celcius.
Cream the butter, oil, sugar and orange rind until the mixture is pale and slightly fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time adding the next after the previous egg is fully incorporated.
Sift the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, cardamom and salt in a separate bowl and set aside.
Mix the yogurt, orange juice and vanilla essence together and set aside. Then add the bicarbonate of soda and stir until the mixture fizzes.
Following the eggs, begin with the flour mixture and alternate with yogurt mixture. The flour mixture will be incorporated in three batches and the yogurt mixture in two parts.
Spoon the mixture carefully into the cake tin, on top of the oranges. Be careful not to displace the oranges. Level out the cake batter.
Bake for around 55 – 65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean, with no crumbs on it.
Let the cake cool in the tin completely, before turning out. If you turn the cake out whilst the cake is still warm, the oranges on the top could cause the cake to fall apart.

FOR THE 3GLAZE