This unusual upside-down cake recipe is surprisingly delicate and delicious. It isn’t too sweet and allows the fresh flavors of the orange and the rosemary to come through. Rosemary and citrus are a match made in heaven, and they are the perfect pairing for this orange upside-down cake.
I’m really passionate about finding new flavor combinations and creating food that really has something special.
I don’t think there’s anything quite like that feeling when you bite into something and all your senses awaken.
If something is so good it makes me stop for a second to go “wow”, then I know I’m going to remember it.
For me, this cake does that.
I have used herbs with citrus before in baked goods, for example in these lemon, mint, and thyme cookies.
Herbs are definitely underrated in sweet food, it’s easy to assume that only savory food is suitable for herbs, but they add a special and unusual element to sweet food.
Citrus flavors are a particularly good match for herbs, particularly basil, rosemary and thyme.
The herbs I used in this recipe are from Cole & Mason.
They kindly sent me this absolutely beautiful set of herbs and spices.
As well as being in extremely convenient and sturdy packaging, the herbs are so intense in flavor.
Quality ingredients really make or break a dish, and as soon as I opened up the pot of rosemary I was hit with a huge whiff of fresh rosemary smell.
No flavor has been compromised in these dried herbs – I would highly recommend these.
The tops can be twisted to either a pour or sprinkle setting, which makes measuring out a tablespoon for this recipe, very quick and easy.
The orange slices are first boiled in a sugar syrup to take the bitterness out of the rind, without this step the cake has a nasty bitter tang to it, but by boiling them first they taste like the chunky bits in a good marmalade, which let’s face it, are the best bits.
I had a lot of fun developing this cake, and I really think you’ll love it too.
Do let me know if you try it out and make sure to tag me in your pictures on Instagram @laurencariscooks!
This post is sponsored by Cole & Mason. All opinions are my own, I will only ever write about products I genuinely love.
Orange Upside Down Cake with Rosemary
Equipment
- 1 round cake pan 9-inch
- 1 saucepan
- 1 stand mixer
Ingredients
For the Orange Sugar Syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 125 ml water
- 2 oranges
For the Cake
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tbsp. rosemary dried
- 1 tsp. orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 356⁰F (180⁰C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.
- Slice 2 oranges into thin slices around 1/2 cm each. In a saucepan, add the granulated sugar and water for the syrup and cook on low heat. Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved, then add the orange slices and ensure they are evenly submerged. Bring to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Once the orange slices are softened, use tongs to transfer them to the cake pan and arrange them in a circle. Caution – they will be very hot so please take care.
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly between each addition.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and dried rosemary.
- With the mixer on a slow speed, add the flour in two additions to the wet ingredients, mixing only until the flour is combined and the mixture is smooth. Take care not to overmix. Add the orange zest and give it one last mix to distribute it evenly.
- Spoon the mixture over the top of the orange slices and gently spread it out so it is flat on top. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the cake pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cake upside down and remove the parchment paper.
Orange in a cake? My favorite. The decoration is so impressive and I bet that rosemary adds amazing aroma and flavor. Happy holidays to you! Xo
Thanks Theodora! Yes it’s lovely! Happy Holidays to you too!