Name: Orange Nectarine Upside Down Cake
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 4-6 nectarines, sliced; 5 tbsp butter, melted; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 cup sour cream; 1 orange, juice and zest only; 1 vanilla bean, scraped; 1 tsp dried orange peel; 115g butter, room temperature; 3/4 cup sugar; 2 eggs; 1/3 cup whole milk

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Moist and flavorful orange cake topped with golden caramel covered nectarine slices is the perfect dessert to serve on any occasion! This dessert is a classic with a modern twist, and the best part is how easy it is to make! The cake has a beautiful rustic finish, and doesn’t require any decorating at the end like a typical layer cake would!

History of Pineapple Upside Down Cake

The most famous version of upside down cakes is the pineapple upside down cake that was created by Mrs. Robert Davis from Norfolk, VA. In 1925 Dole Pineapple Company held a contest for pineapple recipes which Mrs. Davis won with her inverted cake recipe. Dole received over 2500 submissions and advertised the winning recipe making it even more popular. In the 1920s pineapple was a trendy ingredient making it a popular choice for desserts and back then this dessert was considered elegant. Overtime after the 30’s this cake was considered less elegant but kept growing in popularity as a homey and comforting dessert. Today pineapple upside down cake is considered a retro classic that is still a dessert staple in most homes!

Why is it called an upside down cake?

The cake is called an ‘upside down cake’ because to make this cake the fruit is arranged on the bottom of the cake pan in the beginning and the batter is poured over it. Once the cake is baked it gets flipped upside down on a serving platter presenting the cake with the fruit and caramel sauce on top. Hence the name upside down cake.

How to make orange nectarine upside down cake?

Start by preheating oven to 350f. Pour 5tbsp melted butter on a 10” springform cake pan and evenly spread 3/4 cup of brown sugar on top. Assemble the sliced nectarines as an even layer and set aside. In a small bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside. In a mixer using a paddle attachment on high speed cream together 115g butter with 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Turn down to medium speed and mix in 2 eggs one at a time, then 1/3 cup whole milk, juice and zest from one orange, 1/4 cup sour cream, vanilla bean, and 1 tsp dried orange peel. Then gradually mix in the dry ingredients until the batter is uniform, make sure to not over mix. Pour the batter in the springform pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 30 minutes, then loosely cover with foil and bake another 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 20-25 minutes, then run the edges with a butter knife and flip the cake on a cake dish in one smooth movement. Tap the bottom of the cake pan and open the springform. Let the cake cool another 30 minutes before serving.

Tips

Properly creaming butter and sugar together is the key for light and fluffy texture. This step is not about mixing the ingredients together, it’s about aerating the butter - the sharp sugar crystals puncture the butter which traps in air that is needed for leavening. The butter usually starts to lighten after only a few minutes of beating but it takes around 10 minutes to turn it into the almost white fluff that you want!
Arrange the nectarines with the thought that the bottom will be the top.
Pressing the nectarines firmly at the bottom after arranging them helps to keep them in place when the batter is poured over them.
Run the edges with a butter knife and then flip in one smooth movement to avoid breaking the cake. Tap on the bottom of the cake pan to make sure nothing got stuck before pulling it off.