I had been planning to make the orange upside down cake for a while and here it finally is!
Beautiful to look at, fragrant, and super soft! My orange upside down cake is lactose-free. Designed for everyone, including those with intolerances.
It’s a really simple and super delicious dessert to make! The peculiarity of this cake is that once baked, it is flipped over.
Many slices of orange arranged at the bottom of the cake pan become the absolute protagonists of this dessert, as simple as it is spectacular!
There are different variations of upside down cakes, pineapple, orange, apple. This time I decided to try it with Sicilian oranges!
This cake is perfect for any occasion! Enjoy it with family at breakfast, or as an afternoon snack and even as a dessert.
If you love desserts with oranges, don’t miss these delicious proposals:
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: about 12 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 oz potato starch (if not available, substitute with all-purpose flour, totaling 2⅓ cups of flour)
- 3 eggs (medium, whole)
- 6 oz orange juice (about two medium-large oranges needed)
- 2 oranges (medium, sliced with peel on)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (for caramelizing the oranges)
- cup sugar (if you like sweeter desserts, increase to 1 cup considering the presence of oranges that leave a slightly "bitter" aftertaste)
- cup corn oil
- orange zest
- 2 tablespoons baking powder (1 packet)
Tools
- Beater
- Juicer
- Grater
- Baking Pan
- Spatula
- Pan
- Lid
- Sieve
- Parchment paper
Preparation
First, wash the largest orange, grate its zest, and set it aside.
Then squeeze the juice from the largest orange, you should obtain 6 oz, so to be safe, buy a couple more oranges, just in case!
Pour the juice into a glass along with the pulp left in the juicer and set aside.
Take the two medium oranges, wash them well and slice them with the peel on.
The slices should be neither too thin nor too thick. Be sure to use only organic oranges.
Place the orange slices in a saucepan, add some water to cover them.
Add tablespoons of sugar and cook over low heat, for about 10-15 minutes with a lid.
This way, the bitterness from the orange peel reduces in intensity.
After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let them cool, draining off excess water if any remains in the pan.
Then take a 9-10 inch pan and line it with parchment paper. Place the orange slices at the bottom as shown in the photo.
You should cover the entire bottom of the pan, arranging them as closely as possible if you want a fuller effect or spaced apart like in the photo (it’s up to your taste).
With an electric mixer, whisk 3 eggs with the sugar, orange zest, and half a vial of orange flavoring (only if you like it).
After about 5 minutes, add the corn oil and work for another two to three minutes. Finally, pour in the orange juice with all the pulp.
Give a quick stir and then incorporate the sifted flour, starch, and baking powder.
Mix well with a spatula and pour everything into the cake pan, directly over the orange slices previously arranged at the bottom.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 50 minutes. Baking time varies from oven to oven.
After the time, quickly test if the surface is solid; check the inside with a toothpick.
If the toothpick is dry, the cake is ready; otherwise, continue for another 5 minutes.
Once cooked, take it out of the oven, let it cool slightly, and then invert the cake onto a cooling rack.
Gently remove the parchment paper to avoid tearing away the orange slices.
Have you seen how beautiful your orange upside down cake is?! And what a fragrance?!
Now let it cool and then enjoy this delicate, light, and super delicious lactose-free orange cake!
I hope you liked this recipe; come back soon to visit me!
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All rights reserved
Whenever we prepare a dessert with citrus (oranges, lemons, clementines, etc.), it’s preferable to use organic oranges, untreated, to ensure the final product is safe and genuine.
Thanks to my friend Filomena, who owns a citrus grove in Sicily, I have the opportunity to use organic oranges from Agrumi Faro, a company located in the heart of Sicily.
I invite you to take a look at their website to discover how many wonderful products of excellent quality you could bring to your tables.
If you like, I’ll leave you a small DISCOUNT CODE: GABRIELLA03 that you can use whenever you want. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments, I’ll be happy to answer you 🧡🍊
If you feel like making this cake when oranges are not in season, you can do as I do and freeze both lemons and whole oranges (after washing and drying them well). This way, I can consume the juice even when they are not in season.
What oil can I use to make this cake?
When I prepare soft and genuine desserts like this, I opt for a light seed oil to not overshadow the other flavors. If the oil is too strong, it can leave an intrusive aftertaste.
Here’s how to choose:
💚Seed oil (peanut, sunflower, corn; or rice oil): has a neutral taste, does not overshadow delicate aromas;
💚Extra virgin olive oil (EVO) delicate: if you use it, choose an EVO with a sweet or slightly bitter taste profile. A good compromise if you want a more characteristic or rustic taste.
Personally, for homemade desserts, I prefer not to use EVO oil, I don’t like the aftertaste it leaves, but if you use it regularly, it is perfect for this recipe!
