This unusual upside down cake recipe is surprisingly delicate and delicious. It isn’t too sweet and allows the fresh flavours of the orange and the rosemary to come through. Rosemary and citrus are a match made in heaven, and they are the perfect pairing for this orange upside down cake.
I’m really passionate about finding new flavour combinations, and creating food that really has something special. I don’t think there’s anything quite like that feeling when you bite into something and all your senses awaken. If something is so good it makes me stop for a second to go “wow”, then I know I’m going to remember it. For me, this cake does that.
I have used herbs with citrus before in baked goods, for example in these lemon, mint and thyme cookies. Herbs are definitely underrated in sweet food, it’s easy to assume that only savoury food is suitable for herbs, but they add a special and unusual element to sweet food. Citrus flavours are a particularly good match for herbs, particularly basil, rosemary and thyme.
The herbs I used in this recipe are from Cole & Mason. They kindly sent me this absolutely beautiful set of herbs and spices. As well as being in extremely convenient and sturdy packaging, the herbs are so intense in flavour. Quality ingredients really make or break a dish, and as soon as I opened up the pot of rosemary I was hit with a huge whiff of fresh rosemary smell. No flavour has been compromised in these dried herbs – I would highly recommend these.
The tops can be twisted to either a pour or sprinkle setting, which makes measuring out a tablespoon for this recipe, very quick and easy.
The orange slices are first boiled in a sugar syrup to take the bitterness out of the rind, without this step the cake has a nasty bitter tang to it, but by boiling them first they taste like the chunky bits in a good marmalade, which let’s face it, are the best bits.
I had a lot of fun developing this cake, and I really think you’ll love it too. Do let me know if you try it out and make sure to tag me in your pictures on Instagram @laurencariscooks!
This post is sponsored by Cole & Mason. All opinions are my own, I will only ever write about products I genuinely love.
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Orange and Rosemary Infused Upside Down Cake
Serves 8-10
A subtle hint of rosemary takes this cake to a new level. The delicate orange keeps the sponge moist and delightful. A perfect cake for afternoon tea.
Ingredients:
For the Orange Sugar Syrup:
220g Caster Sugar,
125ml Water,
2 Oranges.
For the Cake:
200g Butter, softened,,
100g Brown Sugar,
60g Caster Sugar,
4 Eggs,
200g All Purpose Flour,
1 Tablespoon baking powder,
1 Tablespoon Dried Rosemary,
1 Tablespoon Orange Zest.
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 9 inch (23cm) round cake tin with parchment paper.
2. Slice 2 Oranges into thin slices around 1/2 cm each. In a large non stick frying pan, add the caster sugar and the water for the syrup and cook on a low heat. Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved, then add the orange slices and ensure they are evenly submerged. Bring to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Once the orange slices are softened, use tongs to transfer them to the cake tin and arrange in a circle as shown in the picture above. Caution – they will be very hot so please take care.
3. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on a high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly between each addition.
4. Mix together the flour, baking powder and dried rosemary. With the mixer on a slow speed, add the flour in two additions, mixing only until the flour is combined and the mixture is smooth. Take care not to overmix. Add the orange zest and give it one last mix to distribute it evenly.
5. Spoon the mixture over the top of the oranges and gently spread it out so it is flat on top. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cake upside down and remove the parchment paper. The cake is best served on the day it is made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
