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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Published: Jan 24, 2022 by Pate Giltner 1 Comment

    Blood Orange Upside-Down Cake

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    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    Blood orange upside down cake on a marble slab and with orange slices in the corner of the photo.
    Blood orange upside down cake on a marble slab and with orange slices in the corner of the photo.
    Blood orange upside down cake on a marble slab and with orange slices in the corner of the photo.
    Blood orange upside down cake on a marble slab and with orange slices in the corner of the photo.
    Blood orange upside down cake on a marble slab and with orange slices in the corner of the photo.
    Blood orange upside down cake on a marble slab and with orange slices in the corner of the photo.
    Blood orange upside down cake on a marble slab and with orange slices in the corner of the photo.
    Blood orange upside down cake on a marble slab and with orange slices in the corner of the photo.
    Blood orange upside down cake on a marble slab and with orange slices in the corner of the photo.

    This blood orange upside-down cake is the perfect treat to brighten dreary winter days. The tart sweetness of the blood oranges is the perfect complement to the almond cake base! 

    Blood oranges are in season December through April, but I always find them in my grocery store in January and February, making them a pretty and bright post holiday treat. 

    Blood orange upside down cake on a marble slab and with orange slices in the corner of the photo.

    Why will you love this recipe?

    Upside-down cakes are perfect because they are so simple to make and are beautiful without frosting. My bourbon peach upside-down cake is a summer favorite! 

    This one uses bourbon caramel to sweeten and keep the pretty blood oranges in place as the cake bakes. It also ensures that your gorgeous designs stay intact while baking and during the turning out of the cake. 

    This recipe also keeps the peel and rind of the oranges on; this gives the cake an extra punch of blood orange flavor. The caramel sweetens the slices enough to remove most of the rind's bitterness and leaves the wonderful orange flavor.  

    Ingredients for blood orange upside down cake on a marble table.

    Key Ingredients:

    Blood oranges: blood oranges are the highlight of this recipe! Thinly slice 4-5 oranges with the peel on and arrange the slices darkest to lightest at the bottom of a cake pan to create the prettiest design.

    Sugar: sugar sweetens this cake and is creates the caramel that carmelizes and keeps the oranges in place. 

    Almond flour: almond flour with all-purpose flour provides the structure for the cake. Almond flour is a moist flour that provides a subtle almond flavor and helps to keep the cake moist. 

    Vanilla and Almond Extract: these extracts flavor the cake batter and help complement the orange slices' flavor. The almond extract is key and really elevates the cake. 

    Collage showing how to make blood orange upside down cake.

    Step by step instructions:

    1. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and butter or oil the paper.
    2. Arrange the sliced oranges over the parchment, starting at the bottom and working your way up. I stared with the darkest slices and ended with the lightest. 
    3. Make the caramel by combining ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of water with ¾ cup sugar. Heat over medium-high heat until it turns amber.
    4.  Remove from heat, add the 1 tablespoon bourbon, and pour evenly over the blood orange slices.
    5. Make the cake batter by beating the butter and ¾ cup sugar, then add in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extracts. Beat until well mixed. 
    6. Whisk together the flours and baking powder and then slowly beat it into the batter.
    7. Pour the batter over the blood orange slices and smooth the surface.
    8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean.
    9. Let the cake cool before turning it out. 
    Collage showing how to make blood orange upside down cake.

    Tips for success:

    There are a few tricks that make making this little cake really easy!

    • Use a cake pan, not a springform pan. If you use a springform pan, the wonderful caramel will leak out all over your oven.
    • Line your pan with parchment paper and then butter or oil the parchment. Caramel is very sticky, so to ensure that your beautiful fruit topping stays intact, line the pan with parchment so it can be easily removed. 
    • Watch the caramel. Caramel is very particular, once it's on the heat, it cant be stirred, and it goes from underdone, to ready, to burnt very fast. So watch it very closely. Wait until it turns amber, then remove from heat. 
    • Thinly slice the oranges; since we keep the peels on the oranges, too thick slices will be bitter. Shoot for ½ centimeter in thickness. 
    A slice of blood orange upside down cake on a plate and with orange slices in the corner of the photo.

    FAQ's

    Should I remove the blood orange peels?

    In this case, no! When sliced thinly enough (about ½ a centimeter or less), the caramel sweetens the rind enough to remove the bitterness and leave the blood orange flavor.

    What do blood oranges taste like?

    Blood oranges taste like the perfect combination of tart grapefruit and sweet navel oranges. They are tarter than typical oranges but much sweeter than grapefruits.

    How to store this recipe?

    This recipe will keep stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature.

    Looking for more cake recipes? Check these out!

    • Fresh Blueberry Sheet Cake
    • Bourbon Peach Upside Down Cake
    • Bourbon Chocolate Cake with Blackberry Buttercream
    • Lemon and Cardamon Olive​ Oil Cake
    Print
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    Blood orange upside down cake on a marble slab and with orange slices in the corner of the photo.

    Blood Orange Upside-Down Cake

    ★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
    • Author: pate giltner
    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 30 minutes
    • Total Time: 50 minutes
    • Yield: 1 9 inch cake 1x
    • Category: cake
    • Method: baking
    • Cuisine: american
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This blood orange upside-down cake is the perfect treat to brighten dreary winter days. The tart sweetness of the blood oranges is the perfect complement to the almond cake base! 


    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    1. 4-5 blood oranges, thinly sliced
    2. ½ cup butter (8 tablespoons)
    3. 1 ½ cup sugar
    4. 3 eggs
    5. 1 cup all-purpose flour
    6. ¼ cup almond flour
    7. 1 tablespoon bourbon
    8. ¼ teaspoon almond extract
    9. ½ teaspoon vanilla
    10. 1 teaspoon baking powder

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350.
    2. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and butter or oil the paper.
    3. Arrange the sliced oranges over the parchment, starting at the bottom and working your way up. I stared with the darkest slices and ended with the lightest. 
    4. Make the caramel by combining ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of water with ¾ cup sugar. Stir to combine and then heat over medium-high heat until it turns amber. Do not stir the mixture while it is heating (about 10-15 minutes). Remove from heat, add the 1 tablespoon bourbon, and pour evenly over the blood orange slices.
    5. Make the cake batter by beating the butter and ¾ cup sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then beat in the vanilla and almond extract.
    6. Whisk together the flours and baking powder and then slowly beat it into the batter.
    7. Pour the batter over the blood orange slices and smooth the surface.
    8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean.
    9. Let the cake cool for 15-30 minutes before turning it out. 

    Notes

    • Use a cake pan, not a springform pan. If you use a springform pan, the wonderful caramel will leak out all over your oven.
    • Line your pan with parchment paper and then butter or oil the parchment. Caramel is very sticky, so to ensure that your beautiful fruit topping stays intact, line the pan with parchment so it can be easily removed. 
    • Watch the caramel. Caramel is very particular, once it's on the heat, it cant be stirred, and it goes from underdone, to ready, to burnt very fast. So watch it very closely. Wait until it turns amber, then remove from heat. 
    • Thinly slice the oranges; since we keep the peels on the oranges, too thick slices will be bitter. Shoot for ½ centimeter in thickness. 

    Keywords: Blood Orange Upside-Down Cake

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag me @thegandmkitchen — I can't wait to see what you've made!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous says

      January 24, 2022 at 6:45 pm

      .

      ★★★★★

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    Pate Giltner holding a cupcake
    Pate Giltner holding a cupcake

    About Pate

    Hi, I'm Pate, and welcome to The G&M Kitchen!

    The G&M Kitchen is a recipe blog that specializes in southern baked goods. Here you will find classics like buttermilk and honey biscuits and beautiful show stoppers like strawberry basil cupcakes. While all recipes are inspired by traditional southern classics, they all have a twist or adjustment that elevates them and brings them into the modern age.

    Learn more about me →

    As featured in: thefeedfeed, Sur La Table, Bake From Scratch, Foodtography School, The Bourbon Review, Bringing it Home

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