Upside-down orange cake recipe
Golden yellow semolina flour provides a rich colour and texture, while slices of candied orange exude the warm flavour of caramelised citrus, which pairs well with aromatic rosemary.
When the days are shorter and the light fades, we long for vibrant flavours and a hit of sunshine. While the smell of a freshly baked cake always evokes a sense of comfort, a citrus cake takes the crown for its zesty allure. I love citrus season in Australia, with its beautiful white-scented blossoms and colourful fruit. Suddenly, in the depths of winter we are given all the sunshine we need, with a wide range of citrus cultivars from which to choose: Meyer lemons, mandarins, tangelos, bergamots, yuzu, cumquats, grapefruits through to blood oranges. One of my seasonal favourites is the Cara Cara navel which exhibits a pinkish hue that resembles a grapefruit, with a tangy full flavour with a sweet note of raspberries.
Some other delicious recipes you may love:
- Turn baking on its head with this iconic cake
- Winter recipe: ham hocks, potatoes and brussels sprouts
- Tocino de Cielo with candied orange
Golden yellow semolina flour provides a rich colour and texture, while slices of candied orange exude the warm flavour of caramelised citrus, which pairs well with aromatic rosemary. Black cardamom pods are harvested later than green and are also dried over large fires, lending an exotic touch of smoky warmth. The rich caramel incorporates pomegranate molasses, which balances the sweetness and makes the sunset intensity of the oranges shine even brighter.
RECIPE: Upside-down orange, black cardamom and rosemary cake
Ingredients
For the caramel:
- 100g pomegranate molasses
- 100g soft brown sugar
- 50g butter
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- 2 sprigs rosemary
For the cake:
- 4 oranges – Cara Cara navel, Valencia, or blood oranges
- 2 black or green cardamom pods
- 250g unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature, plus extra to grease
- 150g soft brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 200g fine semolina
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 200g creme fraiche or Greek yoghurt to serve
Method
- In a medium pan cover 1 whole orange with water, bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 2 hours. Allow to cool slightly, cut open to remove the seeds and blend the whole orange including the peel, to form a puree. Reserve. This can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in the fridge.
- Preheat your oven to 180C.
- Lightly grease a springform cake tin and line with baking paper.
- Prepare the caramel, placing the pomegranate molasses, sugar, butter, orange zest and juice in a small saucepan over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Bring to the boil and cook without stirring for 4 minutes until the mixture has reduced and thickened. Add the rosemary sprigs and pour the caramel into the base of the prepared tin and leave to cool completely.
- Slice 2 oranges into 5mm (¼ inch) thick rounds. Arrange the orange slices in concentric circles in a single layer on top of caramel, starting with larger slices around the edge with smaller slices as you work towards the centre.
- Crush the cardamom pods in a mortar and pestle until the husks open. Remove and discard the husks, then pound the seeds to a fine powder.
- For the orange cake, cream the butter, sugar and crushed cardamom until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, with a tablespoon of semolina in between each. Add the remaining semolina and the baking powder and mix until combined. Add the orange puree and the zest and juice of the remaining orange. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and carefully place in the oven. Bake for approximately 75-80 minutes.
- When the cake is ready, a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. Leave in the tin to cool for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of cake to release before inverting the tin on to a plate to remove the cake.
- Serve with crème fraiche or yoghurt.
- Serves 6-8