This orange honey upside down cake has a soft and moist citrus infused cake base with beautiful honey glazed orange slices on top. It is gluten & dairy free, naturally sweetened, and super easy to make!
I love this recipe because it is so easy to make in one bowl but has that crowd-impressing look. The cake is sweetened just right to match the tanginess of the orange topping.
The key to the moistness in the cake is honey and avocado oil. Honey helps to retain the moisture in baked goods so the cake stays nice and soft even on day 3. The orange zest baked in together adds a perfect amount of tanginess.
The flavor develops as it sits but the cake normally disappears within 24 hours in our house because… it’s everyone’s favorite!
Jump to:
Which orange works the best
The answer is, any orange works. However, a different type of orange gives a different look and taste. I always like to include navel orange as it is the sweetest type and are available throughout the year here in the states. Blood orange gives a nice pop to the appearance with its deep red color. Cara cara orange is more on the tart side but I love their rosy pink flesh which looks pretty cute on the cake as well.
Which pan should I use?
A 9-inch pan is used in this recipe. I like to use a springform pan since it makes the flipping easier, but you can also use a regular round cake pan. Either way, make sure to line the bottom and the sides of the pan so the cake slips out smoothly. If you are using a springform pan, place a baking tray or an oven safe plate underneath the cake pan in case a tiny amount of citrus honey juice drips through the bottom of the pan while baking.
Ingredients for this recipe
For the honey glazed orange topping:
- Oranges of your choice
- Honey
- Avocado oil - olive oil, or any neutral tasting oil works
For the citrus cake base:
- Eggs
- Coconut sugar
- Honey
- Avocado oil - olive oil, or any neutral tasting oil works
- Orange zest from 1 orange
- Lemon juice
- Gluten free all purpose flour - Make sure you are using the one with xanthan gum which has a binding effect to replace gluten. I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
- Almond flour - Finely sifted flour. Not almond meal. I use Blue Diamond Almond Flour.
- Baking powder
- Fine salt
How to make orange honey upside down cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 176°C. Line a 9-inch springform pan (or a regular cake pan) with parchment paper.
- After zesting one orange, cut all oranges to ¼ inch thickness. Then carefully trim off the rinds - like cutting off the outer ring.
- Combine the honey and avocado oil together and spread on the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Arrange the orange slices on top of the honey/ oil mix.
- In a large bowl, place the eggs, coconut sugar, honey, avocado oil, orange zest, and lemon juice together and whisk well.
- Add in the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter mix over the orange slices.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
- Place a large plate over the cake pan and flip in one motion.
- Carefully peel off the parchment paper from the orange slices.
*See below recipe card for detailed directions.
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Recipe
Orange Honey Upside Down Cake
Equipment
- 1 9-inch springform pan
Ingredients
For the glazed orange topping
- 3 oranges of your choice zest one orange before slicing
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
For the citrus cake base
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons orange zest zest from 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour I use Bob's Redmill 1-to-1 GF flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 176°C. Line a 9-inch springform pan (or a regular cake pan) with parchment paper.
- After zesting one orange, cut all oranges to ¼ inch thickness. Then carefully trim off the rinds - like cutting off the outer rings.
- Combine 4 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon avocado oil together and spread on the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Arrange the orange slices over the honey/oil mix, overlapping on the edges. You may also cut up a few slices into smaller pieces and fill the gaps.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, coconut sugar, honey(½ cup), avocado oil (½cup), orange zest, and lemon juice together and whisk well.
- Add in the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter mix over the orange slices.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely before flipping. To flip, place a large plate over the cake pan and flip in one motion. Carefully peel off the parchment paper from the orange slices.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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