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Orange Upside Down Cake

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • For the topping:
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 –3 medium oranges thinly sliced (navel, Cara Cara, or blood oranges all work beautifully)
  • For the cake:
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup fine yellow cornmeal
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. (Yes, we are being responsible.)
  2. Melt ¼ cup butter and pour it into the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter. Arrange the orange slices in a single layer on top of the sugar mixture. Overlapping slightly is not only allowed — it’s artistic.
  3. Make the batter:
  4. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  5. Stir in orange zest, orange juice, sour cream, and vanilla.
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
  7. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Don’t overmix — we want tender with a gentle crumb, not dense and dramatic.
  8. Carefully spread the batter over the orange slices and smooth the top.
  9. Bake for 40–50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden.
  10. Let cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges. Place a serving plate over the pan and confidently flip. Lift the pan gently and admire the glossy, caramelized orange crown.