Orange Upside Down Cake Recipes

ORANGE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2. Wash the orange. Cut off and discard the ends. Cut the orange crosswise into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Remove any seeds. Put in the skillet, add 1/4 cup water,and sprinkle with sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, gently stirring to keep the fruit from sticking. Cook until the liquid is almost gone and the orange slices are caramelized. With a fork, move the orange slices into an attractive pattern in the bottom of the skillet.
• 3. In a small saucepan, heat the milk until warm but not hot. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the yeast. Stir until the yeast is dissolved.
• Set aside.
• 4. In a large bowl, beat together the 2 egg yolks, the remaining sugar, and the margarine until pale yellow and thick. Add the orange zest and vanilla; mix well. Sift the cornmeal into the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in the yeast mixture,which should now be frothy.
• 5. In a clean bowl, beat all 4 egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Stir a third of the beaten whites into the cornmeal mixture. Carefully fold in the remaining whites. Spoon the batter in dollops over the orange slices in the skillet. Smooth the top.
• 6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Run a knife between the sides of the skillet and the cake. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Hold a flat serving plate over the skillet and invert the cake. Serve while still warm.

CITRUS UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush an 8-inch square pan with 2-inch-high sides with butter. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter with sugar and zest on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and sour cream, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture.
• Topping: With a sharp knife, slice ends off each citrus. Following curve of fruit, cut away peel, removing as much white pith as possible. Slice fruit crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and remove any seeds. In a small bowl, stir together butter, sugar, and rum. Spread mixture over bottom of prepared pan. Arrange sliced citrus over it in a snug, slightly overlapping even layer (cut some to fit into corners).
• Spread batter over citrus. Bake until cake is golden and puffed and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool 30 minutes. Invert onto a cake plate; serve the same day, warm or room temperature.

ORANGE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Make the caramel:
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Lightly butter the cake pan. Slice the oranges as thinly as you can (about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick), preferably using a mandoline and picking out seeds as you go; set aside.
• Make sure you have all the ingredients for the caramel ready to go before you begin cooking it. In a medium pot, combine the sugar and 6 tablespoons water and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture turns a medium-dark amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and carefully stir in the butter and salt until incorporated. Pour the caramel into the buttered cake pan.
• Starting in the center of the pan, layer the orange slices on top of the caramel, overlapping a bit and working your way toward the outer edge (you may not need to use all the orange slices). Set pan aside.
• Make the cake:
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and then blend in the vanilla and orange zest.
• Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk, beating just to combine. Spoon the batter in dollops over the oranges in the cake pan, being careful not to move them around too much. Smooth the top of the batter with a wet offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
• With an offset spatula or a butter knife, loosen any parts of the cake that seem to be sticking to the side of the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate or platter while it's still hot. Let cool until warm or room temperature, then cut into wedges with a serrated knife to serve.