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A straight on photo of the sliced cake, with a cake lifter sliding underneath a piece topped with cream.
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Blood Orange Upside Down Cake

Orange Upside Down Cake celebrates the beauty & flavor of orange season! A tender & moist vanilla cake is flavored with orange juice and zest, and blanketed with juicy orange slices. A surprise crumb layer on bottom provides a delightful crunch to contrast the tender cake inside, and the juicy oranges on top of the cake.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Keyword Blood Orange Desserts, Orange Cake, Upside Down Cake
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 38 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 13 minutes
Servings 8 slices
Calories 569kcal
Author Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Crumb Layer:

  • 1/4 cup salted butter, melted 57 grams, or 4 tbsp
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled 73 grams
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 53 grams
  • 2 tsp raw sugar optional, adds a nice crunch
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

For the Oranges:

  • 5 large blood oranges
  • 2/3 cup granulated or cane sugar
  • butter, for greasing the pan

For the Cake:

  • 1 and 1/4 cup + 1 and 1/2 tbsp cake flour, spooned & leveled 148 grams
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature 57 grams, or 4 tbsp
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil 36 mL
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar 178 grams
  • zest of one large orange
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature 60 grams
  • 3 tbsp orange juice
  • 1/2 cup milk (don't measure this out yet - you'll need 1/2 cup less the 3 tbsp)

For Whipped Cream

  • 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
  • 3-4 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Prep: Butter a 9-inch cake pan well, including the bottom and sides of the pan, and give it a good spray with nonstick spray for added insurance. (I like to add a parchment paper round as well, to prevent any fruit being left behind in the pan. Be sure to butter under and over the parchment round.) Preheat your oven to 350℉.
  • Prepare the Oranges: Use a paring knife to peel the oranges, removing the peel and the white layer. Slice into thin slices. Add them to a medium bowl and pour the sugar over them. Set aside while you make the crumble layer. Once the crumble layer is made, come back to the oranges. Lay the oranges slices in the bottom of the pan, starting on the center and working your way out. Drizzle 2-3 good spoonfuls of the orange juice that released in the bowl over the top of the orange slices in the pan. Discard the remainder.
  • Make the Crumble Layer: Melt the butter in a small bowl, then stir in the remaining crumble ingredients. If it seems a bit wet, don't fret - it will thicken up as the butter cools from being melted.
  • Make the Cake Batter: Measure the milk before you begin. Add 3 tbsp of orange juice to a 1-cup glass measuring cup, then pour in milk until you reach the 1/2 cup line. (Alternatively, you can measure 1/2 cup milk, then remove 3 tbsp and add in the 2 tbsp of orange juice.)
    In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with a hand mixer for about 30 seconds, until creamy. Add the vegetable oil and cream together with the butter for 1 minute. Rub the orange zest into the granulated sugar with clean hands, then add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 full minutes. The mixture will be fluffy. Add the egg, and beat on medium high speed for 45 seconds. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix on medium low speed until just combined.Add half of the dry ingredients with the mixer running on low speed. With a few streaks of flour remaining, add the orange juice & milk mixture, then when the milk is almost mixed in, add the remaining dry ingredients. When just a few streaks of flour remain, turn off the mixer and use a spatula to gently fold any stray bits of flour into the batter. A few lumps is fine! Don't over mix at this point.
  • Assemble & Bake: Pour the cake batter over the oranges in the pan, and spread evenly. Sprinkle on the crumble (break it up with a fork if needed). Bake for 36 to 40 minutes. A cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake will pull out moist crumbs, not wet batter. Let cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Make your whipped cream just before serving – recipe below.
  • Serve + Store: Let cake cool about 20 minutes or so before slicing – it will still be warm but the fruit will slice through much easier. You can also let it cool further before enjoying. Serve with whipped cream. Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature overnight, or in the fridge longer than that – 3-4 days or so. It's good cold from the fridge, or you can let it come back to room temp before enjoying leftovers.
  • Make the Whipped Cream: Make sure to leave your heavy cream in the fridge until the last second – if it's not super cold, it won't whip up. Add all ingredients for the whipped cream to a large bowl (it will splatter) and mix on medium high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Don't keep mixing once it reaches that point. Store leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for 1-2 days. Don't make this ahead – it's best fresh.Tip: This can also be done in a food processor! Pulse 6-8 times, then run on low, checking in 10-15 second intervals. Do this until it's stiff enough to dollop on!

Notes

NOTE: You may notice that I left the orange peel on in the cake pictured here. I tried it again without the peels and liked that result better - the peels didn't lose their bitter taste in the oven so I recommend cutting them off. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 569kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 949IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 1mg