Recipe creation by @chefericak
This Spiced Orange Upside-Down Cake is a vibrant and aromatic dessert that combines the bright, tangy flavours of Cara Cara and blood oranges with the warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. The cake’s base is beautifully caramelized with a layer of orange slices, creating a stunning presentation, while the cornmeal adds a subtle texture that balances the rich, buttery goodness of Mirage Margarine. Topped off with a glossy orange glaze, this cake is a true celebration of citrus and spice!
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Ingredients
Orange Topping
- 1/4 cup Mirage Margarine
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 2 Cara Cara Oranges, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 Blood Oranges
Cake Mixture
- 1/3 cup Cornmeal
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk
- 1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 tsp Navel Orange Zest
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Cloves
- 1/2 cup Mirage Margarine
- 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
Orange Glaze
- 1/2 cup Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
Directions
1. Place the cornmeal and buttermilk in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Allow this mixture to sit for 15 minutes before adding to the other ingredients. This step softens the cornmeal.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Melt margarine until it just melted, approximately 2 minutes. With a pastry brush, brush the butter up the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the sugar over the butter. Layer the orange slices on top of the sugar, overlapping the oranges in a spiral pattern.
3. Place the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl and whisk until the ingredients are well combined,
4. Place the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, add sugar, spices and margarine. Beat the margarine and sugar mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add one egg at a time, beating after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture and mix at low speed until well combined. There may be some flour on the sides of the bowl, that’s okay. Add all the buttermilk-cornmeal mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Add the remaining flour and mix on low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for another 10 seconds to ensure all the ingredients are well combined.
6. Gently pour the batter over the orange slices and smooth the top with an offset. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to release the cake and invert it onto a platter or plate.
7. For the glaze, combine sugar and orange juice in a pan and reduce until a thick syrup. Allow the cake to cool completely and pour the glaze over the orange slices.