If you’re looking for a knockout citrus season dessert, look no further than navel orange upside-down cake! Its beautiful appearance will surely wow while the light and moist cake will delight. Throw in a cara cara orange to bring a pink variation to the orange slices.
On the Ingredients
- Navel oranges are a variety of oranges with a second small fruit that develops at their base. Originally, they were a natural mutation that appeared at a monastery in Brazil in the early 1800s. The secondary fruit protrudes slightly from the orange, bearing some resemblance to a human navel, hence the name. Navel oranges are great for eating out of the hand as their thicker skins make them easier to peel. They’re not as juicy as other varieties, so they aren’t suitable for juicing.
- Cara cara navel oranges are noted for their pretty pink hue and floral scent. They’re juicy, sweet, easy to peel, have little to no pith, and have low acid, making them an ideal snacking fruit. They’re also used for many fresh preparations, like salads, and cooked preparations, like curds and marmalades. Unlike the red hue in blood oranges, cara cara get their color from carotenoids.
Navel Orange Upside-Down Cake
8
servings20
minutes35
minutes55
minutesIf you're looking for a knockout citrus season dessert, look no further than navel orange upside-down cake! Its beautiful appearance will surely wow while the light and moist cake will delight. Throw in a cara cara orange to bring a pink variation to the orange slices.
Ingredients
6 oranges (we used 4 common navel oranges and 2 cara cara oranges)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar OR 1/2 cup monk fruit sweetener
1/3 cup almond flour
1/4 cup olive oil
zest of 2 oranges
1 egg (room temp)
1/2 cup sourcream
1/4 warm milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Zest two of the oranges and set aside. Peel all the oranges and slice them into circles crosswise, about 1/4" thick.
- Lightly grease an 8" cake pan. Arrange the orange slices to cover the cake pan's inside, including up the sides. You may need to cut a few of the circles to fill in the cracks.
- In a mixing bowl, sift together the AP flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil, zest, egg, sour cream, milk, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently fold together until just incorporated. Do not overmix!
- Pour the batter into the skillet over the oranges and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan and place a large serving plate upside-down on the skillet. Carefully turn over the skillet and plate together, and then remove the skillet, leaving the cake turned out on the plate. Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream, and enjoy!