A stunningly easy-to-make sweet and tart winter citrus upside-down cake! The citrus gets deliciously caramelized by a rum infused vanilla and brown sugar glaze and it's the upside-down cake that can brighten up even the coldest and darkest of winter days!
Why this Recipe Works
- Cutting off the pith entirely ensures the cake won’t be bitter.
- The magic of that schemer! The brown sugar, vanilla and butter schemer caramelizes the citrus with a golden glaze of rum infused goodness!
- A touch of salt in the schemer and cake enhances their flavor and balances the cake's sweetness.
- The cake recipe is easily adaptable to any kind of citrus available.
- A colorfully modern citrus twist on the classic American pineapple upside-down cake!
This citrus cake can be made with any kind of citrus available ~ have that be all the same kind or an assortment! There’s a whole wide citrus world out there with a fantabulous range in flavor, color, and variety! Lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines, clementine’s, blood oranges, grapefruit, pomelo's, and on and on. Any type at all can be used for this cake ~ the rainbow citrus sky’s the limit! I recommend serving it with a dollop of Greek yogurt drizzled with honey, maple syrup or date syrup!
This elegant cake looks all fancy pants but if you can place citrus down on a cake, you can make this!
What the citrus looked like before I wised up and cut he pith of entirely... very pretty but resulted in a very bitter cake.
To Note: I've updated this recipe and the previous version was gluten-free. This one is not. The old version looks stunning but truth be told I thought it was lacking a bit in the yummy department. This recipe is inspired by Thomas Keller's Pineapple Upside Down-Cake recipe in his book, Ad Hoc. I swapped the pineapple for citrus and added a pinch of salt to the batter. But Thomas Keller gets all the credit for the Upside-Down Winter Citrus Cake redo. Thanks Thomas!
How to Make this Recipe
Make the schemer in a food processor. Spread it on the bottom of a springform cake pan. Cut citrus. Arrange citrus in a decorative manner on top of schemer. Can go ombre rainbow style or place that at random. Whatever works for you works for the cake too! Make cake batter. Pour batter over citrus. I recommend placing cake pan on a baking sheet/tray since some of the shcmear will ooze out while baking. Bake until golden and the schemer caramelizes the citrus and Marvel at your creation. Enoy!!!
Now on to some citrus logistics. I’m a very colorful food kinda gal! I like to go big. And I want this whole entire cake covered with vibrantly colorful citrus, minimizing the amount of cake popping out in between. Because citrus is round that means they’ll be gaps, there’s simply no possible way around this. The best way to fill those gaps is by cutting smaller pieces of citrus. A bit of tweaking is involved. And don’t be afraid if the citrus layers a little. Voila ~ the circular citrus gap problem is officially solved!
Other version of this cake... including before I wise'd up and cut all that bitter pith off!
Cooks Tips
- Use a sharp knife to cut the citrus!
- Fill in the citrus topping gaps with smaller pieces of citrus.
- When possible, buy organic and local citrus.
- Place cake pan on a sheet pan while baking to catch any of the buttery schmear goodness that may ooze out while in the oven.
- Run a knife around the edges of the cake and let cool slightly before inverting.
- The remaining schmear can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 1 month; bring to room temperature before using
- Leftover cake can be stored, at room temperature, for up to 2 days.
Stoked on winter citrus?! I got ya! Both sweet and savory style!
For savory, check out: Roasted Beet & Blood Orange Salad, Fennel & Blood Orange Salad, and Citrus & Fresh Herb Roasted Salmon.
For sweet, check out: Candied Blood Oranges Dipped in Chocolate, Candied Citrus and Blood Orange Shaker Tart.
Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with #wavesinthekitchen. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!
Even the blood orange peel remains left when making this cake are beautiful thinks me!
Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with #wavesinthekitchen. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!
Let's make waves in the kitchen!
Upside Down Winter Citrus Cake
Ingredients
Pan Schmear
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon dark rum
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Kosher salt
Cake
- 11/2 pounds of citrus
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, temperature
- 1/2 cup plus
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon milk
- 2 pinches kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- For the schmear: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or a food processor, combine the butter, honey, rum, brown sugar, and vanilla; beat until smooth and well blended. Spread 1 cup of the schmear over the bottom of a 9-inch silicone baking pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside.
- To cut the citrus: trim off each end. Stand the citrus upright a cut, flat end and cut away the peel and pith with a sharp knife, following the contours of each citrus. The slice the citrus into rounds, about ¼ inch thick.
- For the cake batter: place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or food processor and beat for a few minutes until light and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding the second and scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in the milk. Add the flour and baking powder; beat until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan and spread over the citrus. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan for even browning and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling
- Run a knife around the edges of the cake, invert onto a serving platter, and serve warm, with Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey or date syrup.
Notes
- Use a sharp knife to cut the citrus!
- Fill in the citrus topping gaps with smaller pieces of citrus.
- When possible, buy organic and local citrus.
- Place cake pan on a sheet pan while baking to catch any of the buttery schmear goodness that may ooze out while in the oven.
- Run a knife around the edges of the cake and let cool slightly before inverting.
- The remaining schmear can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 1 month; bring to room temperature before using
- Leftover cake can be stored, at room temperature, for up to 2 days.
Looks so delicious👍
Can’t wait to make it.
Thank you #chefdanielagerson👍👍👍👍😘🙏💜
You are toooo cute!!! Please let me know how it goes after you do :). 🍊🌈😘
Oh my, you are right that cake is a work of art!! I wish I had seen this back when my store had blood oranges, it would have been extra gorgeous!
Thank ya so much Pam! And... at lease there's always next years season! I'm actually still seeing blood oranges all over the place and I'm hoping ya find some soon too :).
Love all the colours in this cake. The combination of all the citrus is amazing. What a way to bring some sun into the cold winter months.
Yes Gloria my thoughts exactly on bringing some much desired sunshine in the cold winter months... in cake form :). Thanks so much for the super sweet feedback!
This looks delicious! I love the citrus you used and also love that it is gluten-free!! I love using almond and coconut flour! I can just imagine that this cake would wow dinner guests.
Thanks so much Elaine! And yesssss dinner guests are def wowed by this cake! Stoked you appreciate that it's gluten free too. I have wayyyyy to much fun arranging the citrus slices on it :). Love your super sweet feedback!
Such a pretty cake, you can have so much fun with all of the color combinations! Really awesome idea!
Yesssss that's exactly the idea!!! Thanks so much for your super sweet feedback Carrie ~ I really appreciate it! And yes I have wayyyyyyy too much fun with all the color combinations and arranging the citrus :).
so many gorgeous citrus fruits! this is such a great recipe. so fresh and delicious. perfect for the season 🙂
Thanks so much Danielle!!! That's def the idea :). Really appreciate the feedback and please let me know how it goes if ya make it... I'd absolutely love to hear!
This cake is just perfect for the winter! I love all of that citrus you have in there.
Thanks so much Anne! Love and appreciate the feedback :). And hope ya make it sometime!
Not only does this look delicious, it's absolutely beautiful! It will make a perfect for dessert for my next big family dinner, perhaps Easter. Thanks for sharing!
Absolute pleasure Aleta and thanks so much for the sweet feedback! Really appreciate and please let me know how it goes when ya make it.... I'd absolutely love to hear :).
Such gorgeous colors in this cake! It would be so perfect for a spring party or for Easter!!
Yessss it would be!!! Thank ya so much Kathryn for the super sweet feedback! Love and appreciate it :).
I've seriously never seen such gorgeous citrus! And on top of a cake no less! A total show stopper 😉
Yaya Kelly! Your comment just made me entire day :). Thank ya so much for the super sweet feedback ~ I really appreciate it!
I love this gorgeous citrus cake with all these beautiful colors! It will be perfect for a spring/summer party! Or may be even for Easter?)
Yessss it would be!!! And thanks so much Veronika! Please let me know how it goes after ya make it... I'd absolutely positively love to hear :).
What a fun treat to bake and serve! Oh boy, those citrus looks so beautiful. I can imagine it would be totally fun baking this cake! And that is it gluten free...is a bonus!
Thanks so much Jo! It is indeed a super fun treat to bake and serve! The guests are def wowed every time it comes out... and the gluten-free'ers all the more so :).
Love, love, love this upside down winter citrus cake. I am just wowed by the colours. Food as art indeed! So creative!
Thank ya so much!!! Love and appreciate the feedback :). I'm defff all about food as art!