The Cake Slice May 2011 - Orange Almond Caramel Upside-Down Cake

OK, is it just me or has the last month flown by?  I can't believe that this time last month I was in Australia visiting my eldest daughter.  I really would like time to slow down just a little bit so that it actually seems like there are 24 hours in a day.  Thankfully next week school is out for the summer and we can start to relax a little.

I can tell you, after a world-wide vote by the Cake Slice Baker's, the numbers are in - the results after the break.  Sorry, a little too much American Idol (even though I swore I would never watch again after my favorite didn't win a few years ago).  We are continuing to bake from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman, and this month it is an Orange Almond Caramel Upside-Down Cake.

Since we have a Costco-size bag of Cara Cara Oranges I decided to zest and juice a couple for the batter, and also cut a few very thin slices for the top of the cake. I thought the slices on top of the cake would be a nice complement to the orange-flavored cake. 

Our verdict was two thumbs up.   My husband especially liked the contrast between the soft cake, the crunchy toffee-like almonds, and the tangy slices of orange.  I think this will be yet another cake that I won't need the cake keeper for.

I am looking forward to seeing all of the other Cake Slice members cakes.  Join me in checking out their blogs by clicking on this link.

Orange Almond Caramel Upside-Down Cake
(Printer Friendly Recipe)
 
Ingredients

Topping

• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• 5 thin slices orange, rind removed 
  

Cake

• 1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp grated orange zest

Preparation

Topping

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Grease a 9 inch round non stick cake pan and line the base with parchment paper, then dust with flour.
3. Spread the nuts on a baking tray and toast until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming.
5. Whisk in the brown sugar, turn the heat to low, and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes.
6. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.
7. Drizzle over the honey, lay orange slices on top, and scatter over the toasted nuts.

Cake

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Combine the sour cream, eggs, orange juice and vanilla in a glass measuring cup and beat lightly.
3. Combine the butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Stir in the orange zest.
4. With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow stream, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides.
5. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Then mix of 30 seconds on medium speed.
6. Pour the batter over the almonds, gently spreading it into an even layer.
7. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
8. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand for 5 minutes.
9. Holding the pan and a plate together firmly with oven mitts, invert the hot cake onto the plate.
10. Peel away the parchment paper. If necessary, replace any almonds stuck to the base of the pan.
11. Let the cake cool for 20 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.
12. Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
13. Makes one 9 inch round cake.

Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman.

To Try Tuesday - Cara Cara Marmalade

I really want to be one of those people who makes their own jams, jellies, chutneys, and marmalade's but I have a lot of practicing to do.  There is just something magical about opening a jar of jam that you made all by yourself.  I also think that something like this makes a wonderful gift.

Hands up if you have never hear of Cara Cara oranges.  I hadn't until a few days ago when I was visiting Good Food, Good Wine and a Bad Girl where there was a recipe for Cara Cara Marmalade.   According to Webicurean "Cara Cara oranges have a bright orange peel and pink - raspberry colored flesh. They have a sweet taste with undertones of cherry and a low acid profile. Cara Cara oranges are medium-sized and round, with a yellow-orange rind and they're usually seedless. They peel and segment easily. The flesh is a brilliant reddish-pink, which makes it a colorful and tasty addition to salads".  I was immediately hooked but I didn't think that I would be able to find these oranges here.  I am still looking for the elusive Meyer Lemon.  However, I was in for a treat as Costco is currently selling large bags of Cara Cara oranges.  I couldn't believe my luck and I knew exactly what my To Try Tuesday recipe would be.

 

This recipe couldn't be easier, but I still managed to have a little trouble towards the end.  More on that a little later.  After cutting up all of the fruit I was amazed by the beautiful colors.  Even after a soak in water for 24 hours it was still a vibrant color.  The marmalade isn't quite a vibrant but it does have a wonderful flavor.

 

The only changes I made to this recipe was to use Grand Marnier rather than whiskey (I didn't have any whiskey on hand) and I cut off a lot of the rind and chopped it small so that the marmalade wouldn't be too chunky.  Unfortunately I think that I cooked this a little longer than necessary.  It still looked a little liquid to me so I gave it a few more minutes.  I didn't realize that it will firm up as it cools.  Mine seems a little too firm, but it still tastes great.

I highly recommend you visit Isabelle's blog Good Food, Good Wine and a Bad Girl and check out some of her other recipes.  I also have my eye on her latest post,  a Warm Raspberry-Chocolate Pudding Cake that looks out-of-this-world.

Cara Cara Marmalade

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 3-4 medium Cara Cara oranges (about 2 lbs/1 kg)
• 1 large lemon
• 3 cups cold water
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp whiskey (I used Grand Marnier)

Preparation

1. Using a very sharp knife, cut the oranges and lemon into halves lengthwise. Cut off the top and bottom ends of each half, then cut out seeds and white pith in the center. Collect the end bits, seeds and pith in a small bowl - you'll need these later.
2. Slice the orange and lemon halves cross-wise into very thin slices, then chop up into smaller bits (how small is up to you - I didn't cut the fruit but did cut off the rinds and minced the peel into small pieces for a less chunky marmalade). Transfer the chopped fruit and any accumulated juice to a large non-reactive mixing bowl.
3. Wrap up the seeds, pith and end bits you saved earlier in two layers of cheesecloth and tie off with cotton twine to make a neat parcel. Place this bundle in the bowl of chopped citrus, then pour in the water. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
4. The next day, pour the contents of the bowl into a large non-reactive saucepan. Stir in the sugar, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 2 hours or until the peels are quite soft. Remove the cheesecloth bundle from the pot, and discard.
5. Turn the heat up to medium, bringing the marmalade to a rolling boil. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the jam reaches 220F on a candy thermometer (or until it passes a set test).
6. Stir in the whiskey, and cook for 5 minutes longer. Immediately ladle the jar into sterilized glass jars.
7. Once cooled, the jars can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month. If longer storage is desired, process the jars immediately in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, after which they can be stored for up to a year in a cool, dry place. 

Makes 5 500ml jars

Original recipe can be found here.