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Upside-Down Tangerine Cake

17/11/2023

Naturally, the upside-down tangerine cake is a delicious dessert and a great way to use these citrus fruits when they are in season. Here’s how to prepare this delicious dessert.

Ingredients

For the tangerine base:

  • 3-4 tangerines (depending on size)
  • 100 g of sugar
  • 30 g of butter

For the dough:

  • 3 eggs
  • 150 g of sugar
  • 100 g of soft butter
  • 200 g of flour
  • 1 packet of baking powder
  • Grated zest of a tangerine
  • 1 pinch of salt

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the tangerine base. Wash and cut them into slices about 5 mm thick, removing the seeds. In a pan, melt the sugar with the butter and a little water until it becomes a caramelized mixture. Arrange the tangerine slices in the pan and let them caramelize for a few minutes on both sides, then place them on the bottom of a previously buttered cake tin lined with parchment paper, making sure to create a nice design as it will be the top of the cake.

  2. For the dough, in a bowl, whip the eggs with the sugar until you get a light and fluffy mixture. Add the soft butter and the grated tangerine zest.

  3. Mix the sifted flour with the baking powder and a pinch of salt, then gently stir until you get a homogeneous dough.

  4. Pour the dough over the tangerine base in the cake tin and level with a spatula.

  5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

  6. Allow the cake to cool slightly before turning it out onto a serving plate so that the caramelized tangerines are in full view.

To give an even more Italian touch to this dessert, you could add some candied orange peel to the tangerine base or a sprinkle of chopped pistachios before pouring the dough, to add crunchiness and an additional layer of flavor.

Curiosity

The upside-down cake is a classic of pastry and not just with tangerines. The most famous variant is probably the one with apples, but it can be made with many types of fruit. In this version with tangerines, the citrus aroma blends wonderfully with the caramel, creating a perfect balance between sweetness and freshness.

Upside-Down Tangerine Cake