If you have a celebration coming up, this orange cardamom upside down cake is a wonderful dessert to serve. The sweet caramel topping pairs perfectly with the bitter orange rind and juicy orange flavor. A little cardamom gently brings everything together.
When I made this cake during the pandemic, my husband and I worked our way through the entire cake over the course of a week. Every bite was delicious!
Tips
- Be sure to have all of the caramel ingredients ready before you start making the caramel, because the cooking process happens quickly and you don’t want to burn it.
- I opted for a light cardamom flavor. If you adore cardamom and want it to stand out, try adding a little more.
- You can use buttermilk instead of whole milk if you prefer.
Special Equipment
- A 10-inch springform cake pan and a 10-inch round piece of parchment paper (to line the bottom as instructed in the directions).
- A mandoline slicer to thinly cut the oranges (or you can cut them by hand with a sharp knife).
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this orange cardamom upside down cake.
Caramel Ingredients
- 2 medium oranges
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for buttering the cake pan
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 cup whole milk
Directions
Butter the bottom and sides of the cake pan. Add a round piece of parchment paper to the bottom of the pan and butter the paper.
Thinly slice the oranges (horizontally), trying to keep the slices between an 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. Remove any seeds. Set them aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Make the Caramel
In a medium pot with a thick bottom, add the sugar and 6 tablespoons of water and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring it to a boil and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the caramel turns a medium-dark amber color (about 10 minutes). Remove the pot from the heat and carefully stir in the butter and salt until it is incorporated. Pour the caramel into the buttered cake pan.
Starting from the middle of the pan, layer the orange slices over the caramel in a circle, overlapping them a little and moving the circle to the outside of the pan. Put the pan aside while you make the cake batter.
Make the Cake
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt into a medium mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar and blend it with a hand-mixer until it is fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, blending each egg into the sugar before adding the next one. Add the sugar and orange zest.
Alternate adding the flour and milk to the sugar mixture in three phases: blend in a third of the flour followed by a third of the milk, just enough to combine them each time.
Spoon the batter over the oranges in the pan, being careful to not move the oranges around. Gently smooth out the top of the batter (use the back of a large spoon or an offset spatula).
Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (35 – 40 minutes), rotating the pan halfway through.
While the cake is hot, carefully slide a knife around the edge of the cake to separate it from the sides of the pan. Put a plate over the top of the pan and turn it upside down, so that the cake is on the plate. Cool the cake before serving it.
To serve the cake, use a sharp knife to cut through the orange rinds while cutting the cake into wedges. Give people knives, so they can cut the rind while eating.
The cake is delicious on its own. You can also serve it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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