Description
A vegan-friendly, moist vanilla cake topped with caramelized orange slices. This easy dessert requires basic pantry staples and is perfect for citrus season.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cane sugar (for batter)
- 3½ tablespoons cane sugar or demerara sugar (for topping)
- 1 cup milk (dairy or almond/soy)
- 1½ tablespoons melted butter or olive oil (for pan)
- 4–6 small to medium oranges (navel, blood orange, or cara cara)
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Pour the melted butter or oil into the bottom of the pan and sprinkle the 3½ tablespoons of sugar evenly over it.
- Slice the oranges into thin rounds (⅛-¼ inch thick). You can peel them first for a softer texture or leave the peel on for visual appeal. Arrange the slices in a circular pattern over the sugar in the pan, overlapping slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix the milk, 1 cup sugar, olive oil, vinegar, vanilla extract, and orange zest until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Gently pour the batter over the orange slices, smoothing the top with a spatula without disturbing the fruit.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, place a plate on top, and carefully flip the cake out. Peel off the parchment paper and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, white vinegar works perfectly fine. For a gluten-free version, use a high-quality 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cooling Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Upside Down Orange Cake, vegan orange cake, citrus dessert, easy baking, eggless cake