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Upside-Down Mandarin Cake (with Caramel and Chocolate)
Modern take on a traditional mandarin cake - this one has a gooey caramel layer, and a cake base with cocoa. Perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 557 kcal
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 6 - 8 small mandarin oranges I use the seedless varieties - cut into ½-inch slices
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 ½ cups sugar granulated
- 1 ½ cups AP flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon baking cocoa powder optional
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ cup milk sub almond milk, if desired
- 2 tablespoon olive oil for greasing the pan
For the sauce:
- 5 tablespoons butter melted
- ½ cup brown sugar loosely packed
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F
- Slice the mandarin oranges into nice slices - see note above for a trick to make sure they stay together (save a few peels for the zest)
Cup of Yum
Make the cake batter
- In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, add ¾ cup of softened butter and sugar and stir well. Then, add the flour, eggs, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, cocoa powder, orange zest and milk and stir into batter like consistency
Cup of Yum
Make the caramel sauce
- Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, melt butter and add brown sugar - wait until the sauce starts actively bubbling and take off the heat
- Grease a 9" cake pan with olive oil (and don't forget the sides) - almost until it looks like there's too much oil (but don't worry, it isn't!)
- Assembling the cake
- Butter the cake pan and pour the caramel sauce into the base of the pan. Once the caramel has settled, add the orange slices in a nice mosaic at the base of the pan - you can use the smaller pieces that didn't stick together to fill the gaps here. Then, pour the batter on top of the orange slices and spread gently to make sure it's evenly covered
- Pop in the oven for 40 minutes and once it's done, remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes
- Run a butter knife across the sides of the cake pan to make sure the cake isn't stuck to the sides. Cover the cake pan with a plate larger than the pan and invert at once; then slowly remove the cake pan and revel in the glory of the delicious mandarin cake!
Notes
- No need to stir the caramel sauce - it'll just stick to your spatula. If you just let it simmer until the sauce starts bubbling, you should be good to go!
- You can substitute the milk with almond or pecan milk for a nuttier flavor that goes well with citrus
Nutrition Information
Calories
557kcal
(28%)
Carbohydrates
77g
(26%)
Protein
6g
(12%)
Fat
27g
(42%)
Saturated Fat
14g
(70%)
Cholesterol
102mg
(34%)
Sodium
546mg
(23%)
Potassium
327mg
(9%)
Fiber
3g
(12%)
Sugar
56g
(112%)
Vitamin A
1530IU
(31%)
Vitamin C
33mg
(37%)
Calcium
144mg
(14%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 10slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 557
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 557kcal | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 77g | 26% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 27g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Cholesterol | 102mg | 34% |
| Sodium | 546mg | 23% |
| Potassium | 327mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 56g | 112% |
| Vitamin A | 1530IU | 31% |
| Vitamin C | 33mg | 37% |
| Calcium | 144mg | 14% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.