With caramelized honey and fresh rosemary, this blood orange upside-down cake is exactly the citrusy dessert you need! This cake turns out light, fluffy, and moist – no cake mix necessary. The blood oranges add an effervescent brightness while the rosemary grounds the whole cake with an earthy freshness.

A Citrus Cake with Bright and Earthy Notes

Making the most of citrus season often means searching out the best recipes to use up the bright abundance of these delicious fruits.

This cheery cake is exactly what you are looking for, using blood oranges, honey, and fresh rosemary for a sweet and fresh taste. The rosemary compliments the blood oranges magnificently!

You could use different citrus fruits besides blood oranges if you have something else readily available. Other possible options are regular oranges, Cara Cara oranges, mandarin oranges, tangelo, grapefruit, or a mixture!

Related: Grandma’s Apple Cinnamon Cake, Pumpkin Cornbread with Maple Butter, Old Fashioned Fruit Cake

The fresh rosemary lends an enticing and natural earthy flavor to this cake, pairing flawlessly with the citrus notes. You could also use dried rosemary if that’s what you have access to, just cut the amount in half. Fresh or dried thyme would also work well in this recipe!

I used butter in this recipe for a rich flavor that is satisfying and evident throughout, making for a blissfully fluffy and moist cake. If you prefer ghee or coconut oil, you could substitute with either at a 1:1 ratio as well.

Buttermilk lends a super-rich and well-rounded flavor to this cake. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute with whole milk and 1 tbs lemon juice or vinegar, or plain yogurt at a 1:1 ratio. Find more buttermilk substitution ideas here.

If you need to substitute the eggs in this recipe, here are some great egg substitute options to try (note that this recipe has not been tested using egg substitutes).

The edges of this uplifting flavored cake turn crispy with the caramelized sugar similar to that of an angel food cake. If you prefer coconut sugar, that should work just as well at a 1:1 ratio.

Can’t get enough upside-down cake? Try this Plum and Lemon Upside-Down Cake with Lavender Whipped Cream, and this Rhubarb Upside Down Cake!

Blood Orange Upside-Down Cake Recipe

Now let’s get on with making this delicious orange cake!

Prepare

First, preheat the oven to 350° F (175°C).

Then grease a 10″ springform pan, and I recommend you also line the bottom with parchment paper so the delicious caramelized parts don’t stick. Set the cake pan onto a baking sheet in case of any leaks.

This is a good time to zest and juice, slice the oranges, and finely chop the fresh rosemary.

Make the Rosemary Syrup

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine and simmer the sugar, water, honey, and rosemary for 5 minutes.

Add the blood orange slices, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the oranges soften but aren’t yet falling apart.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

Next, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Mix the Wet Ingredients

Use a small bowl to combine the zest, and juice of the oranges with the buttermilk.

Using a mixer (either hand or stand, whatever you have!) cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Turn your mixer to low speed and add in the vanilla, eggs one at a time, and the chopped rosemary.

Once you stop the mixer, scrape the sides and bottom to make sure it’s all mixed together thoroughly.

Combine

To combine the wet and dry ingredients together, use your mixer on low and alternate the buttermilk and flour mixtures into the butter and sugar mixture until both are emptied.

Keep mixing until it is well combined and evenly distributed.

Layer the Oranges

To assemble the orange layer, lay one slice flat in the middle of the springform pan. Then, lay orange slices around the center orange slice in a circular pattern until the bottom of the pan is filled to the edges with oranges. You want all of the orange slices to overlap.

Use two tablespoons of the orange rosemary syrup to spread evenly across the layer of oranges, then save the rest of the syrup.

Bake the Cake

Pour the batter into the pan on top of the layered blood oranges.

Set the springform pan on a baking sheet to catch any leaks, and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. It will smell divine!

Once it’s set, let it cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. Then carefully run a knife along the edge to free the cake from the sides of the pan.

Next, release the springform and very carefully flip it over onto a wire rack so the blood orange slices are face-up. Allow the cake to cool for another 30 minutes, although in honesty, it’s hard to wait!

Serve and Eat the Blood Orange Upside-Down Cake

Once cooled and ready, drizzle the cake with the leftover simple syrup before serving.

Enjoy the bright, caramelized, deliciousness that is blood orange upside-down cake with rosemary!

The entire orange and rind are edible due to being sliced thinly and candied in the honey-sugar syrup that baking creates. They’re really tasty!

The rich flavor together with the tart and sweet pairing of this cake is perfect all on its own, but would also be really delicious with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

More Citrus Recipes

• Fermented Lemons
• Grapefruit Curd
• Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies
• Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
• Rosemary Champagne Cocktail w/ Blood Orange
• 12 Ways to Preserve Citrus
• Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
• Dried Orange Slices for Food and Decoration