Easy Orange Upside Down Cake Recipe (Gluten-Free) (2024)

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This Orange Upside Down Cake is light, moist, and just so gorgeous with pops of vibrant color! It comes together quickly and easily and is the perfect dessert for any occasion, celebration, or simple weeknight treat.

Easy Orange Upside Down Cake Recipe (Gluten-Free) (1)

What Makes This Recipe Great

I’ve always been a huge fan of upside-down cakes. They are just so gorgeous, with lots of moisture from fruits that go into the topping and sometimes the cake batter. I’ve made various versions of upside-down cakes–pineapple upside-down cake, this banana upside-down cake– and I really wanted to give a citrus fruit version a try.

It’s orange season right now, and I thought oranges would be the perfect fruit to try– sweet, citrusy, and beautiful! After a few attempts, I finally made a delicious and wonderful Orange Upside-Down Cake recipe, and I’m so excited to share this delicious dessert with you!

Watch a Short Video of This Recipe

How to Make Orange Upside Down Cake

In this upside-down cake, orange slices are laid on top of a honey and ghee mixture, and a light and citrusy cake batter is poured over them. The cake is then baked to golden perfection until fluffy and set.

It’s a recipe where you only need simple ingredients, a large mixing bowl, and a cake pan. No hand mixer and no complicated equipment. I just love how gorgeous the end result is, and using a combination of regular oranges and blood oranges really brings out the vibrant colors of this orange upside down cake.

Ingredient Notes

There are two components to this cake: the orange topping and the cake itself. Check out the printable recipe card below for ingredient details and amounts.

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Orange Topping

ghee: I personally love the buttery flavor of ghee. You can make your own or purchase it pre-made. If you don’t have ghee on hand, coconut oil or butter works for this recipe, too!
oranges: I like to use a mix of regular (like cara cara oranges or navel oranges) and blood oranges for that gorgeous pop of color, but any combination of oranges will work. If it’s citrus season where you live, you should be able to find these oranges easily at your local market.
honey

Orange Cake

oranges: You’ll need both the juice and the orange zest.
eggs: Make sure to use eggs at room temperature.
maple syrup: This is a natural alternative to brown sugar or white sugar and keeps this recipe paleo.
ghee: Again, coconut oil will work here instead of ghee. If you’re not paleo, substitute regular unsalted butter if desired.
vanilla extract
almond flour: To make this cake gluten-free and paleo, I used almond flour instead of all-purpose flour.
baking powder

Step-by-Step Instructions

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
Brush melted butter, ghee, or coconut oil all over the bottom and sides of the pan. Brush honey evenly over the bottom of the pan, on top of the ghee layer.
Use a sharp knife to cut oranges into 1/8 inch slices.
Place the slices over the honey in a circular pattern, overlapping them, until you cover the whole pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add orange juice and zest, eggs, maple syrup, ghee, and vanilla extract. Whisk by hand or an electric mixer until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients: almond flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients and fold until combined.
Pour batter into the prepared pans, then smooth out the top with a spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes, then carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate. Remove parchment paper. Slice, then enjoy!

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Serving Tips

This cake is delicious on its own, but it’s also wonderful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream served on top of the orange slices or whipped cream (whipped coconut cream if you are dairy-free)!

Storage Tips

Let the cake cool completely. Then, store covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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Recipe FAQs

Is it okay to leave on the orange peel?

I personally don’t mind the orange peel, especially when it’s baked in honey, like in this recipe. It still has a slightly bitter flavor to it, but I enjoy it a lot. Feel free to remove the peel if you like. Removing the peel will also make the cake easier to slice.

When should you flip and upside down cake?

It’s really important to let the cake cool down before flipping. Because we’re using parchment paper, you won’t run into the issue of the cake sticking to the sides, but you still need to handle the cake with care when you flip it.

Easy Orange Upside Down Cake Recipe (Gluten-Free) (6)

More Delicious Cake Recipes

Paleo Pear Upside Down Cake

Chocolate Dipped Oven Dried Orange Slices (Paleo, Vegan)

Easy Orange Upside Down Cake Recipe (Gluten-Free)

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: paleo upside down cake

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 slices

Calories: 215kcal

Ingredients

Orange Topping

1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil or butter
2 oranges navel, cara cara, and/or blood oranges
3 tbsp honey

Cake

Juice & zest of 1 orange about 1/4 cup in juice
3 eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup ghee or coconut oil or butter, melted
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ cup almond flour
1 tsp baking powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and cut out parchment paper in a circle to fit in the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
Add ghee over the parchment paper then brush evenly all over the bottom and sides of the pan. Then, brush honey evenly on top of the ghee layer at the bottom of the pan.
Slice the bottoms and tops of 2 oranges, then cut with a sharp knife into 1/8 inch slices. You can cut off the rinds if you like. I prefer to leave them on.
Place the orange slices over the honey in a circular pattern, overlapping them, until you cover the whole pan. Set aside.
In large bowl, add juice and zest of 1 orange, eggs, maple syrup, ghee, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
Add almond flour and baking powder to wet ingredients, and fold until combined.
Pour the batter over orange slices over the prepared pans, then smooth out the top with a spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes, then carefully flip the cake onto a plate. Remove parchment paper. Slice, then enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Easy Orange Upside Down Cake Recipe (Gluten-Free)

Amount Per Serving (1 slice – makes 10)

Calories 215Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 53mg18%

Sodium 20mg1%

Potassium 131mg4%

Carbohydrates 14g5%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 143IU3%

Vitamin C 17mg21%

Calcium 76mg8%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Video

Notes

Serving Tips

This cake is delicious on its own, but it’s also wonderful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream served on top of the orange slices or whipped cream (whipped coconut cream if you are dairy-free)!

Storage Tips

Let the cake cool completely. Then, store covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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