We had our friend Jack over for dinner the other night, and this cake was such a hit, we all had seconds (excluding the pieces we had earlier that day when recipe testing). This blood orange upside down cake is one of my favorite recipes of the year—yes it’s only February, but still, I’m really excited about it. You can throw it all together in about 15 minutes, plus baking and cooling time. The color of the blood oranges is festive enough to make for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day (perhaps a romantic date night in to beat the restaurant crowd)…but you never really need a reason to bake a cake, do yah?

Instead of making whipped cream, save time and serve each slice with a dollop of coconut yogurt or any yogurt of choice…don’t hesitate on this decision, it’s the right choice. I like the “natural” flavor Coyo yogurt; or choose any plain yogurt of choice, ideally with limited ingredients and additives. I will note, I’m not a fan of the So Delicious brand—it tastes fake to me and the consistency is too watery. If you do have the time, go ahead and serve it with whipped cream.

This recipe was inspired by the ingenious Golubka Kitchen, who had the brilliant idea of using blended dates and water as the main sweetener in this blood orange upside down cake recipe. I swapped the brown rice flour for almond flour, because it tends to retain moisture better. If you have a nut allergy, you can use the brown rice flour instead. I also added arrowroot to prevent the cake from being too crumbly and falling apart in the absence of eggs or any other binder. I cut down on the orange juice and added some oat milk for moisture and creaminess.

Let me know if you made this recipe and how it turned out in the comment section below!

Bon appetit!

x Mary

//Tools//

• parchment paper

• measuring spoons and cups

• optional scale

• 9-inch springform pan

• large mixing bowl

• whisk

• upright blender

• zester

• sharp knife

• cutting board 

//Recipe Notes//

• I served the cake with coconut yogurt and preferred this to whipped cream, but it’s up to you!

•  If you want the top of your cake to look glossy, heat 1/4 cup of apricot jam in a pan until runny. Use a basting brush to brush the warm jam on top of the cake.