Blood Orange Almond Upside-Down Cake

I love fruit! Berries, apples, citrus… if it has seeds, I’m in. The only problem is that most fresh fruit is only available in the spring and summer. Most fruit that is, except citrus. This is the height of citrus season and one of my favorite citrus fruits is the blood orange. I patiently wait all year for them to come back in season and when they finally do I stock up.

While I usually use the oranges to make juice, every so often I’ll make desserts or dinners with them instead. The sweet tang is delicious in cakes and cookies but also adds a bright freshness to your favorite proteins. Since I’m a dessert lover first though, I of course prefer to use the citrus in sweet things and am constantly on the lookout for recipes where these fruits can be spotlit.

Fine Cooking is one magazine I enjoy perusing for recipes such as these, and they recently had an article on upside-down cakes. Included in the article was a recipe for an orange upside-down cake. So I grabbed a few blood oranges from my arsenal and created this stunning dessert.

I’ve only ever seen pineapple upside-down cakes, and since I’m allergic to pineapple I’ve never tasted one. So when my favorite cooking magazine included this recipe for an orange version, my heart leapt. I’d finally be able to taste that luscious caramel-infused fruit and cake that so many people have enjoyed over the decades. And my taste buds were not disappointed.

I couldn’t stop licking my fingers both during the cooking process and when the cake was finally ready to eat. The oranges give the caramel a tangy flavor that pairs wonderfully with the toasted almonds both on top of and ground up in the cake itself. And if you’re thinking this is solely an after dinner treat, stop thinking that way! I made this cake for my morning Mommy & Me class. That’s right, it also makes a delectable brunch or breakfast option, especially when served with coffee or tea.

There was one disappointing aspect to this cake, though. There weren’t any pieces left for me to nibble on after class. Guess I’ll just have to make two next time.

Blood Orange Almond Upside-Down Cake (adapted from Fine Cooking)

Ingredients:

Topping

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 blood oranges
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Cake

• 2/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup pastry flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions:

Make the Topping

1. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter that as well.
2. Grate 2 teaspoons of zest from one orange and set aside. Juice the same orange and set aside.
3. Trim the ends off the second orange. Quarter and slice it into 1/8-inch thick slices and set aside.
4. Combine the butter and sugar in a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture is a dark brown color, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the reserved orange juice until combined. Immediately pour the caramel into the cake pan and let cool for about 5 minutes.
5. Decoratively arrange as many of the orange slices as you can fit on the caramel. Sprinkle the almonds between the orange slices and set aside.

Make the Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Let cool. Pulse in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and combine with the flours, baking powder and salt and set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the reserved orange zest and almond extract until just combined.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
5. Gradually mix in the flours and sour cream, alternating between the two so that you begin and end with the flours.
6. Use a spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan without disturbing the topping. Smooth the surface and tap it once or twice on the counter to release any air bubbles.
7. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes.
8. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake. Invert the cake onto a serving plate, remove the pan and rearrange any of the fruit or nuts that have stuck to the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.