Upside Down Orange Cake with Greek Yogurt
A citrus-forward inverted cake featuring caramelized brown sugar and fresh Valencia orange slices. Greek yogurt and olive oil create a tender, moist crumb while fresh orange juice and zest provide bright flavor. The dramatic presentation with glossy caramelized fruit on top makes this an elegant dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 2 TBS unsalted butter
- 2 TBS light brown sugar, packed
- 2 Valencia orangesblood oranges1:1citrus
changes color and flavor
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, thick
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 TBS orange zest, freshly squeezed
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- 2
Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and melt butter.
- 3
When butter bubbles and just starts to brown, stir in brown sugar.
- 4
Cook until sugar dissolves into butter and melts, then remove from heat.
- 5
Spread sugar mixture evenly across the bottom of the pan.
- 6
Thinly slice oranges and arrange slices over the brown sugar in desired pattern.
- 7
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- 8
In a large bowl, mix together sugar, yogurt, orange juice, orange zest, olive oil and eggs.
- 9
In batches, fold flour mixture into yogurt mixture until combined.
- 10
Pour batter evenly over orange slices in the cast iron pan.
- 11
Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- 12
Cool cake for 10 minutes in the pan.
- 13
Run a knife blade along the sides to ensure clean removal.
- 14
Place serving plate over the skillet and carefully invert the cake.
- 15
Keep skillet on the plate until cake falls onto plate, then remove skillet.
- 16
Cool cake to room temperature, about 1 hour, before serving.
Tips
Watch the butter carefully when browning to avoid burning the sugar mixture.
Arrange orange slices in an attractive pattern as they will be visible when inverted.
Allow the cake to cool slightly in the pan before inverting to ensure the caramelized topping adheres.
Use fresh squeezed orange juice and zest for the brightest citrus flavor.
Good to Know
Cover and store at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 4 days.
Cake can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Store covered at room temperature.
Serve at room temperature with whipped cream or Greek yogurt if desired.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the butter browning step to avoid pale caramel flavor.
Do not arrange orange slices haphazardly to avoid unattractive final presentation.
Do not invert the cake before it has cooled at least 10 minutes to avoid collapse.
Do not overbake to avoid dry crumb.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
changes color and flavor