Orange Upside Down Cake

Orange Upside Down Cake is an incredibly delicious, soft, fluffy orange cake with a tender crumb that melts in your mouth.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Servings: servings

Calories: 321kcal

4 small oranges, thinly sliced like navel, blood orange, Cara Cara oranges, etc.
1 ½ tablespoons melted butter
3 ½ tablespoons raw sugar, cane sugar, or demerara sugar (you can also use granulated sugar)
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, optional but bring a delightful flavor
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup cooking oil
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest

Get Recipe Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously grease an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan. Line with parchment and then grease the parchment paper.
Slice oranges horizontally about ¼-inch thick and remove any seeds.
Add melted butter to the bottom of the prepared pan and sprinkle sugar over the top. Then lay the orange slices in the bottom of the cake pan, creating a desired pattern.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cardamom if using; set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Add the oil, sour cream, vanilla extract, orange juice, and zest until smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until well combined. The pour the cake batter over the orange slices.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 to 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the cake to release. Invert the cake onto a serving plate or platter.

While the cake is cooling, bring sugar and orange juice to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool until warm to room temperature.
Brush cooled cake with orange syrup before serving.