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–+ servings
finished blood orange cake, slice on a plate, serving spatula

Blood Orange Upside Down Olive Oil Cake Recipe

Sylwia Vaclavek
Blood orange upside-down cake with cardamom and fresh ginger, finished with honey and pistachios. A simple, seasonal dessert perfect for Valentine’s Day.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 388 kcal

Equipment

  • 9-inch cake pan
  • Parchment
  • saucepan
  • mixing bowls
  • whisk, spatula
  • Zester + grater
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • cooling rack
  • Brush for honey
  • Stand or hand mixer optional

Ingredients
 
 

Blood Orange Caramel Topping

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Pinch fine salt
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom ground
  • 1 teaspoon blood orange zest
  • 3-4 blood oranges for 12-15 thin slices

Cake Batter

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup almond flour
  • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon cardamom, ground
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger, ground
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon blood orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon blood orange juice

For Finishing

  • 2 tablespoons honey for brushing
  • ⅓ cup pistachios toasted
  • sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat to 350°F
  • Generously grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter
  • Line the bottom with parchment paper
  • Using a sharp knife, slice 3-4 blood oranges into ⅛-inch-thick rounds
  • Aim for 12-15 slices from the middle sections. Remove any seeds.
  • Pat slices dry with paper towels
  • Zest 2 oranges before slicing (1 tsp for caramel, 1 tbsp for cake)
  • Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat
  • Swirl occasionally and cook until the milk solids turn golden brown (3-5 minutes)
  • Watch carefully - remove from heat when lightly golden and nutty-smelling
  • Add to the hot browned butter: ⅓ cup coconut sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, a Pinch fine salt, ½ teaspoon cardamom, and 1 teaspoon blood orange zest.
  • Stir until the sugar dissolves (1-2 minutes)
  • Pour the caramel into the prepared pan and tilt to spread evenly.
  • Arrange blood orange slices in overlapping concentric circles, starting from the outer edge. Work toward the center
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together: 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup almond flour, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon cardamom, ground, and ¼ teaspoon ginger, ground
  • In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs and ½ cup coconut sugar vigorously for 1 minute. You can use a hand mixer for this.
  • Slowly drizzle in ½ cup olive oil while whisking
  • Add: ½ cup plain yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon blood orange zest, 1 tablespoon blood orange juice, and 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated. Whisk until smooth
  • Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients mixture. Fold gently until no flour streaks remain. Don't overmix!
  • Gently spoon the cake batter over the blood oranges. Smooth the top carefully without disturbing the oranges.
  • Tap the pan 2-3 times on the counter.
  • Place the cake into the preheated oven and bake 40-45 minutes (rotate halfway at 20-22 minutes)
  • Done when: the top is golden, springs back when touched, and a toothpick comes out clean
  • Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 12-15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge
  • Place the serving plate on top and flip in one confident motion!
  • Let it sit for 1-2 minutes, then lift off the pan.
  • Brush the exposed blood oranges with 2 tablespoons honey while still warm.
  • Toast ⅓ cup pistachios in a dry pan (3-4 minutes).
  • Sprinkle the pistachios on top, add flaky sea salt .
  • Let cool for another 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Slice the blood oranges thin - thin slices soften beautifully in the caramel.
Zest before you juice - always zest the blood oranges first while they’re whole.
Don’t rush the caramel - let the butter and sugar fully melt and turn glossy.
Fold the batter gently - overmixing can make the cake dense. 
Let the cake rest before flipping - fifteen minutes is the sweet spot. Too soon and the caramel runs; too late and it may stick.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 388kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 6gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 389mgPotassium: 141mgFiber: 2gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 296IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 94mgIron: 2mg
Keyword blood orange cake, blood oranges, olive oil cake, upside-down cake
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