A few extra vitamins can never hurt in winter. Many people do this with an apple between meals or a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast, but I think a delicious Polenta Blood Orange Upside-Down Cake is much better for this purpose. You won’t have it on the table quite as quickly as a glass of orange juice, but it looks a lot better, doesn’t it? ;P
Blood oranges are available in Germany in winter and spring (December to March I guess was the season here). In terms of taste, there is not a big difference to regular oranges, to be honest. If you get them in the supermarket, they are not always »bloody red« inside. The color can vary a lot. I like to use them for baking when they are available. It’s just something different visually ;P
You could, of course, bake this cake here with regular, unbloody oranges – no problem at all. Nobody should be discouraged from baking this cake in the height of summer when blood oranges are not available. After all, it’s a delicious cake all year round!
Whether you use normal oranges or blood oranges, make sure you use organic oranges. The peel should remain on the oranges for this recipe (yes you can eat it). If you use oranges that have been sprayed with pesticides you have to remove the peel. If you don’t have organic oranges at hand, you can, of course, remove the peel. The cake will look slightly different, but it won’t be any less delicious or less pretty ;P
If you baked an upside-down cake before, you know that caramel or sugar syrup is usually used for those cakes. You have to boil down a thick sugar syrup with sugar and water first (or even go a step further and cook a caramel sauce) and pour that into the cake pan. The fruit you want to use has to be arranged on top of that sauce, plus the batter, and then baked in the oven. The sugar syrup/caramel sauce prevents the fruit from burning during baking. In the case of the oranges, the acidity and bitterness (of the peel) are countered by a good portion of sweetness as well.
If you know me or my recipes here on the blog, you know I am trying to limit my sugar consumption. My goal is to use less sugar in my recipes wherever possible. Unfortunately, this is only possible to a limited extent here. Theoretically, you could use a sugar alternative (e.g. xylitol) instead of sugar for the batter and syrup, but I think that’s not ideal. Too much xylitol can cause stomach problems (if you are sensitive).
With an upside-down cake like this one here, you have to bite the bullet (or rather, the caramelized orange slice) and accept a little more sugar ;)
The cake is (again) a recipe for my »Bake Together – The Baking Surprise« with Andrea from Zimtkeks & Apfeltarte (all in German). Once a month, we pick a topic or theme, bake something together (far away from each other), and surprise each other with the results. You can guess this month’s topic by looking at the cake, I assume. No, not »upside-down cakes«, but »something citrusy«. Well… there is definitely a lot of citrus involved ;P
I’m looking forward to seeing what Andrea has come up with. We sometimes end up with quite similar recipes here. To our surprise, of course ;)
There are already a few other upside-down cakes on the blog here. Check out these two delicious cakes here: a Banana Upside-Down Cake and an Upside-Down Cake with Cherries. You can easily find the others using the search option in the menu.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the sugar syrup:
1/2 cup (100g) cane sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) water
For the cake batter:
7 oz. (200g) ground almonds
5.6 oz. (160g) polenta (coarse)
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. baking powder
7 oz. (200g butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) cane sugar
4 medium eggs, separated
5.3 oz. (150g) Skyr (or similar)
1 organic lemon, zest
1 organic orange, zest
2 tbsp. orange blossom water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4-5 organic blood oranges, thinly sliced
a few chopped pistachios for decoration
Für den Zuckersirup:
100g Rohrzucker
60ml Wasser
Für den Teig:
200g Mandeln, gemahlen
160g Polenta (grob)
2 EL Speisestärke
2 TL Backpulver
200g weiche Butter
150g Rohrzucker
4 Eier (M), getrennt
150g Skyr (o.ä.)
1 Bio Zitrone, Abrieb
1 Bio Orange, Abrieb
2 EL Orangenblütenwasser
1 EL Zitronensaft
1 EL Orangensaft
1 TL Vanille Extrakt
4-5 Bio-Blutorangen, in dünnen Scheiben
einige gehackte Pistazien für die Dekoration
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Start with the sugar syrup. Add cane sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the mixture simmer until the sugar has dissolved completely, and you got a slightly thickened syrup – takes 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool down a bit while preparing the batter for the cake.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9.4 inches (24cm) springform tin with baking parchment and lightly grease the sides. Set aside.
3. Add the ground almonds, polenta, cornstarch, and baking powder to a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside. Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and keep the egg yolks ready for the batter. Wash and dry the oranges and cut into thin slices. Set aside.
4. Add butter and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and mix until very light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one after another and mix well after each addition. Next, add the Skyr, lemon and orange zest, orange blossom water, lemon and orange juice, as well as vanilla extract and mix to combine. Depending on the temperature of the ingredients, the mixture might look a bit curdled, but that is ok. Add the almond mixture and stir in – just until combined. Gradually add the whisked egg whites and fold in.
5. Pour the slightly cooled sugar syrup into the prepared springform tin and distribute on the bottom of the tin. Arrange the orange slices in a fan pattern (or any other way) on the syrup – you want the bottom to be covered completely. Transfer the batter to the tin and spread evenly on top of the oranges. Be careful and try not to move the orange slices. Smooth out the top and bake the cake in the center of the oven for about 60-65 minutes – or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the cake gets a little dark towards the end of the baking time, simply cover it with a piece of aluminum foil or baking parchment.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool down a bit. Use a knife to loosen the cake from the tin, then remove the sides of the springform tin. Place a serving plate on top of the cake and flip it upside down. Remove the base of the tin and carefully peel off the baking paper. Let the cake cool down completely. Sprinkle with some chopped pistachios before serving (optional).
1. Für den Zuckersirup, den Rohrzucker und das Wasser in einen kleinen Topf geben und erhitzen. Die Mischung so lange kochen lassen, bis der Zucker komplett aufgelöst ist und die Flüssigkeit etwas angedickt hat zu einem Sirup (etwa 1-2 Minuten je nach Hitzezufuhr). Vom Herd ziehen, etwas abkühlen lassen und in der Zwischenzeit den Teig zubereiten.
2. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Eine 24cm Springform mit Backpapier auslegen und an den Rändern leicht einfetten. Zur Seite stellen.
3. Gemahlene Mandeln mit Polenta, Speisestärke und Backpulver vermischen und zur Seite stellen. Die Eier trennen – das Eiweiß steif schlagen und die Eigelbe für den Teig bereithalten. Die Blutorangen heiß abwaschen, trocknen und in dünne Scheiben schneiden. Zur Seite stellen.
4. Weiche Butter und Rohrzucker in einer großen Schüssel hell und luftig aufschlagen. Die Eigelbe einzeln dazugeben und jeweils gut unterrühren. Skyr, Zitronen- und Orangenabrieb, Orangenblütenwasser, Zitronensaft, Orangensaft und Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und alles gut verrühren. Wenn alle Zutaten die gleiche Temperatur haben, sollte sich alles gut verbinden – wenn nicht, ist das auch nicht schlimm. Die Mandel-Polenta Mischung dazugeben und kurz unterrühren, dann das aufgeschlagene Eiweiß nach und nach dazugeben und vorsichtig unterheben.
5. Den leicht abgekühlten Zuckersirup in die vorbereitete Springform schütten und gleichmäßig auf dem Boden verteilen. Die Orangenscheiben fächerförmig auf dem Boden der Form auflegen – hier bleibt jedem selbst überlassen, wie er/sie das Muster haben möchte. Wenn alles so liegt, wie es soll, den Teig vorsichtig darauf verteilen (damit nichts verrutscht) und glatt streichen. Den Kuchen in der Mitte des Ofens für etwa 60-65 Minuten backen. Sollte der Kuchen gegen Ende der Backzeit etwas dunkel werden, einfach mit einem Stück Alufolie oder Backpapier abdecken. Mit einem Holzspieß testen, ob noch Teig kleben bleibt und den Kuchen erst herausholen, wenn dieser sauber bzw. nicht allzu feucht herauskommt.
6. Den Kuchen aus dem Ofen holen und kurz abkühlen lassen. Mit einem Messer vom Rand der Backform lösen und den Rand der Form entfernen. Eine Servierplatte auflegen und alles zusammen umdrehen (upside down). Den Boden der Form entfernen und das Backpapier vorsichtig abziehen. Den Kuchen komplett abkühlen lassen. Vor dem Servieren nach Belieben noch mit ein paar gehackten Pistazien dekorieren (optional).
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Polenta Blood Orange Upside Down Cake
- Prep Time: 00:25
- Cook Time: 01:00
- Total Time: 01:30
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
An absolute showstopper: This Polenta Blood Orange Upside Down Cake will turn heads ;) It’s also very delicious I might add. The perfect winter cake ;P
Ingredients
For the sugar syrup:
1/2 cup (100g) cane sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) water
For the cake batter:
7 oz. (200g) ground almonds
5.6 oz. (160g) polenta (coarse)
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. baking powder
7 oz. (200g butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) cane sugar
4 medium eggs, separated
5.3 oz. (150g) Skyr (or similar)
1 organic lemon, zest
1 organic orange, zest
2 tbsp. orange blossom water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4–5 organic blood oranges, thinly sliced
a few chopped pistachios for decoration
Instructions
1. Start with the sugar syrup. Add cane sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the mixture simmer until the sugar has dissolved completely, and you got a slightly thickened syrup – takes 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool down a bit while preparing the batter for the cake.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9.4 inches (24cm) springform tin with baking parchment and lightly grease the sides. Set aside.
3. Add the ground almonds, polenta, cornstarch, and baking powder to a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside. Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and keep the egg yolks ready for the batter. Wash and dry the oranges and cut into thin slices. Set aside.
4. Add butter and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and mix until very light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one after another and mix well after each addition. Next, add the Skyr, lemon and orange zest, orange blossom water, lemon and orange juice, as well as vanilla extract and mix to combine. Depending on the temperature of the ingredients, the mixture might look a bit curdled, but that is ok. Add the almond mixture and stir in – just until combined. Gradually add the whisked egg whites and fold in.
5. Pour the slightly cooled sugar syrup into the prepared springform tin and distribute on the bottom of the tin. Arrange the orange slices in a fan pattern (or any other way) on the syrup – you want the bottom to be covered completely. Transfer the batter to the tin and spread evenly on top of the oranges. Be careful and try not to move the orange slices. Smooth out the top and bake the cake in the center of the oven for about 60-65 minutes – or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the cake gets a little dark towards the end of the baking time, simply cover it with a piece of aluminum foil or baking parchment.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool down a bit. Use a knife to loosen the cake from the tin, then remove the sides of the springform tin. Place a serving plate on top of the cake and flip it upside down. Remove the base of the tin and carefully peel off the baking paper. Let the cake cool down completely. Sprinkle with some chopped pistachios before serving (optional).
Notes
Happy Baking!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
