Broiled Orange Upside Down Cake, Two Ways

For dark times, featuring Mezcal and/or Maraschino Cherries

In this version, I replaced the mezcal with the syrup from a jar of maraschino cherries because that’s what I had on hand.

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This is a good pantry cake.

It started as an Orange Mezcal Upside Down Cake, which is a very sexy cake in my opinion. It’s smoky and bitter in places, but with plenty of brown sugar to make it warm and caramely.

But then, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, when I couldn’t stop scrolling on social media, looking for things that would make me mad (doomscrolling, as they say), I baked it again as something to get me off my phone. Only I didn’t have mezcal, which got me thinking of this cake more as a pantry cake: something that can be made with whatever you have on hand.

I had a jar of Bourbon Bada Bing Cherries in the back of my refrigerator, which are like fancy maraschino cherries with hints of bourbon’s oak and molasses flavors. So I replaced any calls for mezcal with the cherry syrup. And I liked this version even better. The topping tasted like cherry almond jam balanced with bright citrus rounds. And the color - a deep burgundy. It’s a sophisticated end to any meal. I think you should make this the next time you’re trying to impress your crush.

But my one gripe with an upside down cake?

They look like guts.

There’s no good way to say it, but a lot of the time the baked fruit topping looks really unappetizing to me. Because the fruit is being baked on the bottom of the pan, below the cake batter, there’s a ton of steam that gets trapped and absorbed by the cake. It’s delicious and creates a sticky toffee pudding-like texture, but when you flip the cake out of the pan to reveal the top, it often looks… slimy? It’s kind of wet.

There are a few ways around this. We could cook the fruit beforehand, releasing moisture before it gets baked into the cake. We could use less fruit (sad!). Or, we could add extra caramelization to the cake after it comes out of the oven. That’s what we’re going to do here. As our final step, we’re going to use our oven broiler.

For the topping:

• 2 tablespoons (30g) olive oil

• ½ cup (100g) brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons (30g) mezcal or maraschino syrup (Note: If you’re going the cherry route, buy the nice jar. Trader Joe’s has one for ~$7. Just don’t get the bright Red40 ones. Not because I’m anti-Red40, but because it won’t work well in this recipe.)

• 3-4 oranges (I like Cara Cara or Blood Oranges here, but any will do) peeled and sliced into ¼ inch rounds. I like to peel my oranges with a pairing knife to ensure there’s no pith left on the outside.

• A handful of chopped maraschino cherries, if using.

For the cake:

• 1 ½ cups (180g) flour

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• ¾ cup (180g) olive oil

• 1 cup (200g) sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 3 tablespoons (45g) mezcal (or maraschino syrup)

• Zest of 1 orange

• ¼ cup (60g) milk

• ¼ cup (60g) full-fat sour cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

You’ll need: an 8- or 9-inch cake pan, parchment paper, a small saucepan, whisk, rubber spatula, sheet pan

Instructions

1. Get ready: Set the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of your cake pan with nonstick spray and line it with parchment paper.
   

2. Prepare your citrus: Zest one of your oranges before slicing it. Using a pairing knife, trim the peel off the oranges. This is easiest to do by slicing the top and bottom off first, so that the orange can sit flat on the cutting board. Once you’ve peeled them, slice them into ¼ inch rounds and set aside.

   

3. Make the topping: In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil, brown sugar, and mezcal (or maraschino syrup) over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and just begins to bubble. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.
   
   Pour the caramel mixture into your prepared cake pan.
   
   Arrange the orange slices (and cherries, if using) in a decorative pattern over the caramel mixture, overlapping slightly if needed.

Make the cake:

4. Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl, about 30 seconds to ensure your ingredients are well integrated.
   

5. Combine the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil and sugar vigorously until well combined, about 1 minute. It may appear a bit sandy, this is okay.
   
   Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until the mixture is thick and pale.
   
   Whisk in the mezcal (or maraschino syrup), orange zest, vanilla extract, milk, and sour cream until smooth.
   

6. Combine: Gradually fold in the dry ingredients until just combined – once you no longer see any streaks of flour, you’re done.
   

7. Assemble and bake: Carefully pour the batter over the arranged oranges. Bake for 35-45 minutes (this will be determined by the size of your cake pan). Check the cake after 35. You’ll know it’s done when you press gently onto the center of the cake and it bounces back. It’ll feel light and springy. It might also slightly pull away from the edges of the pan. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes.
   

8. Flip the upside down cake: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, just big enough to place the cake on. You’re going to be putting this under the broiler, so if your parchment paper is too big, it might flip up and burn. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to release it from the pan. Place the parchment and sheet pan on top of the cake. Carefully but confidently flip the cake onto the pan.
   

9. Broil the cake: Position the oven rack so the cake will be about 6 inches from the broiler. Turn your broiler on high and let it preheat for a few minutes. Trim your parchment if you need to to avoid burning it. It’s just there so the cake is easy to release from the pan.
   
   Place the cake under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the orange slices and caramel begin to bubble and develop darker caramelized spots. It can go from perfect to burnt very quickly so be sure to watch it constantly!
   
   Remove from the broiler and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. The cake will keep for 2-3 days, though the oranges are best on day one.

   

   Before broiler (slimy, dull) and after broiler (defined,textured). My parchment did catch on fire, hence the note about trimming your parchment.